The Scholar's Report
by Doctor Burrito
Summary: The sequel to "The Cosmos Report", which centers around The Scholar, aka Cid Previa, and his plot to get revenge on Cosmos and put an end to Cid the Lufaine. Loosely based on Dissidia, best to say it takes place AFTER the game.
1. Chapter 1

My Gods . . . what have I done? Oh, please, please, forgive me . . . please . . . What have I done? Look at them! They played her game perfectly. She stabbed every last one of them in the back. She lied to them. Used them. Cheated them. And no one came to their rescue. No one cared. It worked so well it seemed to be a poorly written story . . . Oh please, someone forgive me for what I have done . . .

My name is Cid Previa, known throughout the Heavens as The Scholar. I was a planner of Dissidiae, wars between gods. For eons I walked the stars, proudly believing myself, an angel, that much greater than the gods for whom I worked. Until I gambled too high. I signed on to work for the Goddess Cosmos in her eternal struggle against Chaos. I thought that I could expose them for what they were to the Choir of Elohim, to the Gods of the gods. But I was fooled. I was wrong. I was short-sighted. I did not believe that things went as high as they did.

My plan had been to reveal all to Cid Lufaine, the God of Gods of gods. The Cid of Cids. The Highest of Highest. But I did not think that _HE_ would be involved so personally in this. I should have noticed. Should have seen it. I was involved. My team was involved. Timelines, Gods, and so, why, then, didn't I see how far and wide this went? And I thought I could put the game of the gods to an end. Like trying to stop a forest fire with a tear drop.

And now, oh gods, now here I am, in this god forsaken _sanctuary_, this _farce_ of a repose for Order. For all eternity a prisoner within myself, eternally bound to Lady Cosmos, slave to her, and continual planner for her petty struggles against the rest of heaven. My reports were sent, and The Messenger and the others have been on the run ever since. Thank gods that the Heavens are eternal, so there will always be somewhere to run and hide, even though their pursuers number amongst the all-knowing and all-powerful. And so their Hell in Heaven becomes my torment as well. Here I sit, forgotten, even by Cosmos' angels' and perhaps The Lady Herself.

But I have made my final play. My endgame has begun.

She was a pawn in Cosmos' Cycles. She played a part of the Dissidiae, and "The Fantasy" as well. What a name for a scheme that includes the lives of so many, the destruction of so many worlds and lives. Like some kind of sick, cruel joke. A display of cosmic distaste for the wellbeing of the mortal spirits which whatever force is higher than Cid Lufaine has entrusted to them. The gods have their "Fantasy" and their "Legend" and their "Tales" and "SaGa". But she will bring about my own story.

Yes, this spiritual daughter of mine will cause the "Final Fantasy."

Oh gods forgive me for this. Have I done this, truly? I am as cold and manipulative as any of them. I have taken a child and put her in this. Do I say child? Silly me. When we met, she was unborn. She has since run her life's course, and returned to this strange and sadistic afterverse. And I am now the one who pulls her strings. Can I truly do such a thing as this?

I cannot have such qualms. I cannot stop and think anymore. I have thought long enough. Either I break these chains now, or I succumb at last to the numbing love of Cosmos. I cannot resist much longer. Cannot retain my consciousness much longer before I am completely absorbed by Her . . .

How do I proceed? My whole plan had been to publish The Cosmos Report to the Highest and have Them deal with Her. But now I see that even the High Cid is involved in this madness. What do I do? If I but sit and wait, I will lose myself within Her. But if I remain awake, I will be consumed by my own guilt. I have used an innocent spirit and disrupted Eternity for something this petty . . . Vengeance. What's more, what is the end to which I play? If I dethrone He Whose Throne is Eternal, I will end the society of Heaven forever. I am planning an upheaval the likes of which no man has ever known, the likes of which would make the Heavens shake and the Depths tremble. I am going to take us all where angels fear to tread . . .

I am so ashamed of myself. Can any soul be so angry with oneself as I am right now? Worst is that I cling to that hatred as a way to resist the numb. I love the hatred of myself. I perpetuate it. I know I am no better than those I intend to bring down, and yet . . .

I just don't care anymore . . .


	2. Chapter 2 The Lair of the Father

It's time. Time to wake up. Wake up the world for the last dispensation. No more Kings, and no more crowns. No more Gods, and no more games. Today is the day I begin. Begin the battle to bring the Heavens crashing down around me. Why am I doing this? Two reasons: I owe a friend a favor, and to do myself one as well. Will I succeed? Let me put it this way: Failure is not an option. And to make things that much better, the enemy is infallible.

I am one called Lightning. An apt name. What is it they say? "I saw him, like lightning, from heaven fall." Yes, I believe that will be a fair description afterward. I am not sure how best to put this, and I'm not big on the whole inner monologue thing, so we'll skip that, shall we? How about I just give the description of where I am, and what is happening? If I don't, well, we might be here far longer than I'd like.

I stand now in a place called The Lair of The Father. It is, to say the least, not the most impressive den for one of the Cosmic Scum known as deity. But then again, I admire the humility. The Lair of The Father belongs to a God known as Bahamut. He struck me at first as being an average Dragon-God, the type you often see near Good-Is-Bad universes, up to the fact that He only uses the dragon form when He really wants to impress. I admire His Excellency's human form. It is that of a white-skinned male, early forties, muscular, black haired, and dressed in royal purple. He is wearing a long and flowing robe (logically convertible into wings) and a simple crown on his head (for horns). He is seated on a chair of stone. The court is full of small boys dressed in, if I am not mistaken, Zanarkandian cloth. They are, of course, Bahamut Himself, being reflected around the room. An interesting act, but nothing more.

"Well then, this is an unexpected reunion, isn't it, 'O Hallowed Father'?" Remarks the woman beside me. That would be Cuore. A woman with bluish green hair, and a remarkably thin structure, belying her power. A Maenad. Mass-produced weapons of war used by a God gone mad. She is a part of the Summoner Series. She has her motives for traveling with me. "What's wrong? Afraid to speak?"

"Children," Bahamut greets us, waving gently a hand to Himselves, showing them step down in a sign of peace. "I see you are not come to call on the Dragon-King for simple pleasure." He rises to His feet, and gestures again. "Your movements throughout the Heavens do not go unseen. Many there are who have heard of you. Who have reported of you. No one believes you are up to anything at all pleasant."

"Hey, man," says the man at my side, as he shrugs, "Why should we care what others think? You Gods and Angels, for all your preaching, are a bit too judgmental, aren't you?" That would be Benjamin. In recent history, he was involved in a struggle to obtain the dockets containing the names of warriors in a certain conflict of the Gods. He was, to say the best, a sort of a heavenly delivery boy. If nothing else, I find him amusing, and for this he travels with me. His motives? Probably just attention.

"Do you presume to mock me?" Bahamut asks, "You would best learn that to mock Divinity is detrimental toward progress. I did not allow you to come here that you could jest before me. Remember that I am God, and God will not be mocked."

"Your Grace," interrupts the bearded man behind me, "A thousand pardons. It is not our intent to slander, nor to mock. We come with important duty, which requires thine help. We fain no pretention, nor demand any formality beyond that of common courtesy. We are here for the sake of a purpose of import. When we have finished, we shall take our leave." That's Arazlam Durai for you. Always the smooth talker. Bahamut has visibly relaxed while Arazlam talks. It seems he himself has his own motives in all this. But I imagine being Cidspawn may take this quest directly to his heart.

"What, then, do you seek?" Bahamut hisses, "I am a very busy God, and I haven't an Eternity to chat. Forgive my own lack of good demeanor, but the Maenad's presence does not persuade me to ease."

"Oh?" Cuore says, raising an eyebrow, "Why is that? Hallowed Father, you wound me. You are one of the few I find to be my equal. What good are the Heavens to me without you? Surely you don't wish to group me with my sisters? I was just a child . . ."

**SILENCE.** Bahamut roars, without use of mouth. "Children, do not anger me. I am a Dragon. We are not patient gods by any means. The Maenad seeks to lay injury to insult. As if I did not recall that she, whilst playing innocent was as much the mad-woman as her sisters."

"Hallowed Father, you trusted so much in Rydia, why not in her daughter?"

**THAT IS ENOUGH!** Roars Bahamut, shedding His human form, taking on that of a platinum-scaled Dragon. He is large. As large as He likes, I believe, but for the sake of not over-killing, He remains small enough to fit within the throne-room He has designed. He spreads His wings, roars once more, then lowers His head to look upon us. Even with a draconic, and divine, face, His disdain is evident. **I WILL THAT YOU LEAVE NOW. THIS HAS BEEN A WASTE OF MY TIME. I DO NOT TREAT WITH IRREVERANTS.**

"That will do, Cuore." I say. "Bahamut, I don't think you understand yet the situation in which you are."

**IS THAT A THREAT? I DO NOT FEAR SUCH AS YOU.**

"Not a threat, ser," Arazlam says, motioning toward me, "but rather a caution. We are about very important business, and we wish your full cooperation. With all due respect."

"Unless," Benjamin adds, "You'd like to be losing your head."

**HOW DARE YOU-**

"I thought I made it clear?" I interrupt. Unwise. One should never interrupt a God, but like Arazlam said, we're in a hurry. So I unsheathe my sword. "We would rather your full cooperation." Bahamut, upon seeing my sword, stops His rage. He only stares a moment, and then resumes His human form. A bold move, I think. Perhaps He wants to show submission, perhaps He's just crazy.

"Omega." He says. "Wherever did you get that?"

"Doesn't concern you," I say. "What does is that I have it, and I want answers."

"Ah," Bahamut says, reclining again on His throne, "Is that all? Very well. Answers you shall have. But I want one for myself, first."

"Oh great," Benjamin says, "Here comes the fetch quest."

"Boy, do try to hold your tongue," Cuore spits, "I can't believe you didn't die from overspeaking."

"What do you seek, ser?" Arazlam says, trying to ignore our . . . less focused companions.

"I pose a simple enough question," Bahamut straightens somewhat, as though to make Himself more comfortable, "Can you use that sword?"

Ah. Omega Weapon. It's a sword that even Gods fear. Rightly so, since it has the power to end them. The problem is that it's rather complicated to wield, and even harder to find. It's designer likely intended to use it to end the Fallen Gods should they ever rise against the Gods again. Unfortunately for him, the Gods don't feel safe having something which can undo them at hand. So it's cursed. You can't find it, and when you do, you can't use it. No ifs, ands, or loopholes to it. You just can't find or use it. But since we found it . . .

"Doesn't it's presence suggest that?" I ask.

"I am not asking what is suggested. I asked whether you could or could not wield it. I see you cannot. Impressive, your having found this sword. An Infinity Plus One that never should have been. One day, should you live to be Gods, you will understand why. But enough of this. You had something to ask of me?"

"Yes." Odd. He's convinced I can't use it, but He's going to answer anyway? I don't like the sound of that . . . "You are Bahamut, God-King of dragons and Eidolons, are you not?"

"An easy question; meant to open the discussion. I am. You may also say I am God-King of Espers and Aeons if you'd like. To make it simple, I am God-King of The Choir of The Summoned, yes."

"In how many worlds have you made a personal appearance?"

"Worlds without number have I created. Worlds without number have I appeared in. I could tell you now, and we would never end hearing how many worlds in which I have appeared. It is required that a God appear at least once in all worlds He makes, even if He will not put Life on said world."

"Is it possible that one God may appear in the world of another?"

"Yes. That is how true polytheism works. If you work in Trinity, for example, you have other Gods who minister for you. That's generally reserved for Elohim alone, though."

"How many times have you and Cosmos appeared in the same worlds during Her war with Chaos?"

"Thirteen. More if you wish to split hairs."

"Why have you involved yourself in Her war so many times? To the point of lending your power to Her and Chaos' representatives in said wars?"

"Did I not mention? I am God-King of The Choir of The Summoned. I have a contract which is, as frustrating as may be, Unbreakable."

"Why, then, do you appear in more Dissidiae between Cosmos and Chaos?"

"Ah, so you ARE an intelligent life-form after all. I'd not have expected you to ask this. Cosmos' and Chaos' battle is hard-coded into the conflict. I cannot escape it. I have an integral duty to participate in it."

"Why?"

"That is too general a question, child. There are Gods _dedicated_ to answering it. Try being more specific."

"Why do you HAVE to participate in Cosmos and Chaos' war above all others?"

"Because I was there when it began."

Well. I must admit, I wasn't expecting THAT kind of answer. How does a war on an Eternal level have a beginning? What did He mean by there? I have to admit, I'm stumped on what to ask next. But there's a reason to this line of questioning, so I can't just give up.

"Where did this battle between Cosmos and Chaos begin?"

"Which time?"

"The very, absolutely first."

"Child, I will give you the answer you seek, if only because it pains me to see you get caught in so simple a logical trap. There is no "when" as to the beginning of this battle, but only "where". The Crystal World. The realm wherein are stored all Crystals. Crystals, as I am sure you are aware, because if you weren't you would not BE here, are materials perfect for storing. Be it memory, energy, spirits, bodies, monetary value, etcetera. They are a source of Unlimited Potential in their rawest form. And, as you may be aware, Cosmos and Chaos once fought in that realm, dealing untold damage to countless continuities, dreams, powers, economies, and yes, even Gods. Because of this action, the Gods decided upon a fate far worse than expelling them to the Void. They set them to war forever. Each one hating the other perfectly, yet never able to escape."

"And what was your part in all of that?"

"You could not possibly comprehend."

"Lord Bahamut," I say, sliding my fingers along Omega's blade, "I am what you might call the kind of person who needs to dominate a situation. Whether you believe I can wield this sword or not makes no difference. Rest assured that, if I can't now, I will soon. Would you like to be there when I discover this? No? Then answer the question."

"I have already answered it, child. You have merely failed to comprehend."

"Then enlighten me."

"As you wish. As I said, Cosmos and Chaos once fought in a place called The Crystal World. There is no question of when. We dwell in eternity, and We, who are eternal, do not concern ourselves with this question any longer. The question is always where."

"Fine. Where is this Crystal World?"

"My, you DO show some signs of worth. Gods be helped should you ever Ascend, child. The Crystal World is a place that is and yet is not. It is a simultaneous place. You might say it is the very world on which Cosmos and Chaos were born."

"Born?"

"Yes, child, even Gods must pass mortality's vale."

"And you . . . ?"

"I was also born on that world. It's ironic, to think, really. Cosmos, under the guise of Princess Sara, would come to rule Corneria, the largest military force of her day. I was born many years earlier, but lived to see those days, ruling the races of wyrms of our world, even then revered as a God-King."

"And Chaos?"

"Ah, child, would you really embark upon this? May I not persuade you to rest this subject? You pry too much, too deeply. This subject worries me. Should you go too deeply, you will fear what you find more than any other thing."

"Then tell me, that I know fear."

"What are the words?"

"She repeats them elegantly, ser," Arazlam says, "I believe Thou seekest 'knowing Good and Evil' that one may be as the Gods?"

"That would be correct."

"Which means, what?" Benjamin asks.

"This knowledge is forbidden you. Partake at your own risk."

"He's washing His hands," Cuore spits. "A God forsaking responsibility? Come, O Hallowed Father, you jest."

"I do not. Think a moment. You have found already a location which serves as both a mortal world and an immortal repository for all the most powerful knowledge and energy of the universe. This location doubles as the birthplace of several Gods of repute. Would you really follow this rabbit to the end of his hole?"

The group has stopped for a moment. They are all looking at me, to see how I will answer. I've got to say, Bahamut's backed me into a corner. I'm dying of curiosity about this. This "Crystal World". I've heard of it, of course, but no one has ever seen it. Even to Gods it's become a legend. Only the Highest Gods of the Choirs are allowed access. It's very existence is only known because of a breach in it which drew a group of mortals into it. A being known as Necrophobe has been pursued for aeons because of that.

But I'm worried, too. After all, who knows what Bahamut will be saying next? His actions are impossible for me to read. He first is offended by Cuore (Which is logical. She's with us for this reason.) Then He accepts the questions, writing off Omega as both authentic and impotent. And now He's relinquishing responsibility for the conversation and setting us up for something big. There is definitely something strange here.

But what choice do I have? I came here to know where to start, where to go, and what to do. My goal is an obvious one, half of Heaven seems to have caught on already. But I can't just turn back. I have to go on. Like I said, I owe this to a friend.

"Bahamut," I say, "Tell us. Responsibility be mine and ours. Of it you are free."

"Children," Bahamut says, His face turning sorrowful, "So be it."


	3. Chapter 3 The Father's Lie

**Bahamut, God-King of the Summoned.**

Listen well, oh children, to the tale I now tell. To that which no man knows. To knowledge Angels fear to hear, and Gods, all-knowing, do not know. Hear this which makes shatter all things. Which horrifies and breaks and scars the soul. Work ye towards the Cidian ending? Serve ye The Scholar's Remnant? Believe ye his Report? Then hear this, and know where the Angel ye revere failed so greatly. Hear that one piece which was missing from the puzzle he aimed to solve. Hear now, oh children, the First Fantasy.

The Crystal World is a place which exists both in Life and in Eternity. In Life, it is a world called by its inhabitants "Joia." When the world of Joia still was young, it was given six mighty Crystals to guide it. A crystal of Light, a crystal of Darkness, and one for every element. The crystal of Light was held by the Elvaan, shining and illuminating their halls. The crystal of Darkness came to the hands of Men, in the kingdom of Corneria. Earth was given to Melmond, and Wind to Lufenia. Water to Onrac, and Fire to Gulg, near the Crescent Lake. And for a time, the Crystals were safe, and the world at peace. The races of Man, Elvaan, Dwarf, and Dragon did not fear one another. For a time . . .

In the days of my mortal hatching at the Cardian Palace of Trials, Onrac and Lufenia were at war. Lufenia had become a scientific paragon, using the Wind Crystal to imbue its people with a wisdom and knowledge that had made them feared across the land. Onrac had developed magically, and its people had taken to learning the Arts, wielding even the power of Summoning. Ironic, then, what came next; the solutions they created for one another's threat. The Crystals were the object of war, and these two master races of men, the Lufaine and the Onraqui. And so man came to be hated amongst the other races, and even feared.

In each of these kingdoms there was a man of great renown. A man who excelled, and surpassed the others. For Onrac, this man was a woman. A witch-queen known as Matoya. She was feared even by her summoners. Her lust for the magical power the Crystals presented is said to be what caused the war. And for the men of Lufenia, it was Cid, a wondrous and talented inventor. Cid discovered a way to use technology to fly, and built an "airship" a threat enormous to the Onraqui forces. It was Cid who discovered that the automatons the Lufaine had been using as their servants for centuries could be used for war. Thus was born the "War-Machine" and eventually, a Floating Castle; an aerial combat-fortress the likes of which the world had never known. All the Lufaine race could easily dwell within, sustained by forests and waters within, and without, the castle could raze the world.

History would have you believe that Levistone was used to lift a town. War be the truth in all this madness. History would have you believe much about this tale. Cosmos and Chaos left their own "reports", each one fabulously scripted by Someone higher. Each one a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis, the Fable of the New Crystal. And I ask, what is a fable, if not a lie we wish to believe?

Knowing that Lufenia was able to defend itself against her summons, Matoya sought a better answer. She stole Cid's War-Machine, and then with her spells, brought forth a power all Gods fear . . . she summoned Omega. Of this horror I cannot tell all. But know ye this: in all the Heavens' Eternity, this marks the first appearance of Omega. It's origin is unbeknownst to me, though I lived to see the sheer power of destruction made incarnate for the first time in this horrible machine.

Omega marched at the head of the Onraqui army of Summons, and was to make war on Lufenia. But Cid had also prepared a great and terrible weapon. One far more terrifying than even Omega, in a sense. Cid had created a child. One he hoped would bring his people to victory. And so he named this son of science, "Garland," like the crowns worn by Lufaine victors. And so this creature, born to wield the power of Dischord against Harmony was born. Harmony had been the balance of Matoya's magic until that time, but she herself had gone against even that when she Summoned Omega. He was no force of Music, but one of Silence.

Cid and his wife lost their child to Lufenia's arms. The Lufaine sought to employ Garland, but he would not fight. Why should he, seeing the matchless force of the Lufaine Flying Fortress? And so the Lufaine brought Cid's wife to manipulate the child, she herself being manipulated by them. And so Garland was employed by Lufenia to fight Omega.

The ending result is one I fear even to speak. It is one which I recall even now in my nightmares. It is that which haunts even Gods as I. The following battle is known through-out the Heavens as Ragnarok. Matoya's summons were no match for Garland. His discord disrupted the magic which made them. And he marched swiftly against her armies. Summoners fell by the thousands in the space of an hour. Garland's force was one which could not be comprehended. Matoya herself was thought to be slain in the onslaught, and there the battle should have ended.

But it did not.

Omega was unleashed, the final hope of the Onraqui's once proud nation. Whithersoever it stepped, the world died beneath it. The military avoided it, as things did not simply die, but cease to be as it passed. Omega charged forward to face Garland, to destroy him, as though it knew he were an enemy. And that horrific beast, that monster which sought to end all, and which seeks to end all, fell to Garland's might. The clash was such that Onrac itself sank to the depths of the sea, the Water Crystal itself lost beneath the waves, and but a very, very few survived. The battle itself rent time and space, and Omega escaped that day. Forever since has it wandered, hoping to destroy all places it comes to, leaving nothing in its wake.

Garland, his mother, and Cid were soon pursued as well, and in a fight, Garland's mother was shot. Thinking her dead, Garland went into a rage, and tore space open once more. Seeing no reason to remain with the dead, Cid chased after his wife. And so, for millennia, nothing of the two was ever heard again.

Yet the story continues onward in many paths, and in many directions. Garland found his way 3000 years into the future, to become a knight in the Cornerian military. At the time, the crystals had vanished from the world, and Corneria was at war with Elfland over dominance of the world. Cid's wife survived the battle, and passed her memories on to another, who, in essence, preserved her being, until one day, some 200 years before Garland's arrival in Corneria, she met the prophet Lhukan, and shared her tales with him.

Cid of the Lufaine wandered into the Heavens, where he began to rise rapidly amongst the Angels and Gods. He met a God known as Shinryuu, a Holy Dragon who made a deal with him. Cid would surrender his original body, and Shinryuu would give him a new one, securing his Ascension to Godhood. In exchange, Shinryuu would help Cid find his son. It is worth mentioning that even I, Bahamut, God-King of the Summoned do not know Shinryuu's origin.

History tells us that Garland met the Princess Sarah and fell in love with her. Yet she did not return his feelings. Enraged, Garland captured Sarah, and took her to the ruins of Old Corneria to the north. The truth is that Sarah DID love Garland, and though he was the general who had brought Corneria victory over Elfland, her father did not approve, and so the two fled to the Temple to the north. At this same time Lhukan's prophecy was fulfilled, and the Four Warriors of Light appeared in Corneria, each having at last found the lost Crystals. They were sent to save Sarah, by order of the king, and in the end, wound up killing Garland, before embarking on a journey to save the world from the Fiends who threatened it.

Along the way I met them. Though but Four were the Holy Ones of Legend, they were joined by two others. Amongst them I met The Warrior and the White Mage, who seemed to be madly in love. I, moved by this love, deeming it something which made the world worth saving, moved to help them. I gave them power beyond dreams, and they were expanded upon. In the end, they traveled back 2000 years in time, recovering the Crystal of Light, divided between its' two forms: The Crystal Sword and the Crystal Lute. 2000 years before their story began, they met Garland, who was orchestrating the very Fiends' which had inspired their necessity. In the halls of Corneria's already old and devastated Temple, Garland revealed his revealing epiphany: That he was, in fact, Chaos, God of Discord. The heroes, following Cosmos' wishes blindly, overthrew Chaos, and undid His plan.

In so doing, time was rewritten, so that no such thing had ever happened, and the heroes were returned home, not recalling even one another. Garland was revived, and this time, his marriage Sarah was almost guaranteed. And yet, at the same time, in Eternity, Chaos and Cosmos, who had wreaked so much havoc across The Crystal World were brought before The Highest, one Cid the Lufaine. Cid would have freed them, but as a part of His deal with Shinryuu, He set them to fight one another. Not fully was He aware of who they were, seeing only the Eternal, and not Temporal, identities of the two Gods.

Cid the Lufaine's original body was given into Cosmos' keeping by Shinryuu, and so the Holy Dragon had at His beck and call each of the three major players. Had they been all there was to this, your hopes would here fail you. But as you see by the blade in your hand, Omega also figures in, in ways I cannot explain, as does one other very important person, whom ye will have to seek for yourselves.

This, then, is the First Fantasy. Chaos, or Garland, was a man made to destroy, bereft constantly of the love He so desperately desired. Cosmos, or Sarah, was as manipulative as the Lufaine who wished to use Garland to win their war. Cid the Highest was Garland's father, a man who went on to rule all of Heaven. Shinryuu used this desperate struggle to His advantage, to a goal I cannot know. Because Cosmos and Chaos waged so violent a war in the Crystal World, they dealt untold damage to the Multiverse, and so were punished, to forever war. This was the first time in which Gods used Crystals for war. It was our shared crime. We lived in that Crystal World, and we all made use of said Crystals. For this reason our fates are intertwined.

What I have told you is as I witnessed it in Life, another mayhaps shall tell it to you as she, unseeing, saw it from Eternity. The one you seek is not I, Children, but the Witch-Queen, Matoya.


	4. Chapter 4 The Father's Fall

**Codename: LIGHTNING.**

"So," I say, when the God has finished His story, "That's what The Scholar didn't know? That's where all of this began?"

"Yes," Bahamut replies, "Cid of the Lufaine, The Highest, Cid Prime, The Source, was more than just on Cosmos' side. He who is Almighty is Himself bound. Because Chaos, Garland, is His son."

"So," Cuore says, her silvery voice ringing in the room, "What's Cid's goal? Why does He perpetuate this Endless Cycle, if He can end it at any time?"

"I should think," Arazlam puts in, "That the Father cannot tell us that."

"What?" Benjamin cries, "You're all-knowing, aren't you? You're a God! You have to know EVERYTHING!"

Bahamut draws His cape about Himself, almost as though gathering His wings around. He rolls His head off to the side in an utterly draconic posture. He sighs, flames escaping His human lips. "Child. Would you know the truth? Would you hear another Dissidia? Another Endless Struggle?"

"What? Don't tell me you've got a fight with The High Cid. Records have you two as bosom buddies!"

"Yes, Child, I would say I consider Cid of the Lufaine my friend. All Gods will say just as much. But you have to see something. The struggle of He Who is Above All."

"And that would be?" I ask, not sure at all where this is going."

"What is Freedom?" Bahamut asks.

I'm not sure if He's musing, or if He has gone mental. I'm not sure if I want to find out. But I haven't got a lot of a choice, have I? "To be without bondage."

"Exactly. To have NO boundaries. This is Absolute Freedom. But Our Lord Cid is quite the opposite of this. He is bound. Indeed, it is His very binding that holds Heaven together. If He were not bound, He would have no power at all . . ."

"And what, pray tell, binds Him, ser?"

"Have I not already told you, Children? Cid of the Lufaine struck a deal."

"Yes, about this deal," Cuore says, "I'm not sure I get it. What sort of a deal was this?"

"He gave His body-"

"No, that much we understood." I interrupt, "What I DON'T get is the rest. Why did Shinryuu ask to take His original body? And why did Shinryuu consent to help Cid find Garland? And moreover, why does this contract still stand, if He's already been found?"

"Ah, again I cannot tell you this. This is the Endless Struggle of the Gods. Our Dissidia, as it were. We are bound by "Authority" and "Stewardship." These things are not my Stewardship, not mine to know, and thus, I haven't even the Authority to know them and act in them. But this I can tell," Bahamut points at me, and, more specifically, the weapon I'm carrying, "the answer is there. Right in your hands."

"Omega?"

"Children. You have heard all I can tell you. You have seen the major players on Heaven's stage. Cosmos, Goddess of Order. Her actions were called into question during Her thirteenth War against Chaos, by the one called The Scholar. Chaos, called Garland, the man and the monster; I wonder, after all this time, has He lost who He was? Then there's Cid, of the Lufaine, the man who began all of this, and the one who controls all things. God of the Gods of Gods. Do you hope, honestly, to challenge Him? You will have, also, to contend with this one called Shinryuu, the Holy Dragon. A being whose actions and origins I cannot comprehend. Your one hope appears to be Omega, a weapon forged in the Void itself, whose nature I cannot say. And there is, of course, a sixth player in all this . . ."

"The Scholar."

"If that is what you wish to believe."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, Children," Bahamut says, suddenly taking on His dragon form again, "We are out of time to discuss this."

At that moment the walls of the Lair of The Father come crashing down around us, and Angels appear in their place. Seraphim, I see. Strange that so many high ranking Angels would be sent to storm a place like Bahamut's lair. Their force is enough to break such walls, deep as they are, but I still find this strange. Ah, one of them's coming forward now. Wait, is that . . . ?

"Hallowed Father Bahamut, for harboring fugitives from the law, and divulging information belonging only to the Choir of the Elohim, and aiding and abetting enemies of Heaven, and treason against The Highest Himself, I, Kain Highwind, hereby try, judge, and sentence you to be stripped of your crown, and cast into the Void."

**CHILD. DO AS YOU BELIEVE YOU MAY. EVER HAVE I AWAITED THIS MOMENT. FOR THIS HAVE I HELPED THEM. NOW THE HIGHEST'S HAND IS MADE CLEAR. TEARETH THOU MY CROWN FROM ME? WE SHALL SEE!**

"Kain . . . ?"

The angels, already tense, turn themselves toward me. Bahamut, who has readied Himself for the fight, slides His eye upon me. And the man in white and blue armor also turns his eyes on me. Kain Highwind. The man . . . I once thought I loved . . .

**RUN CHILD. RUN!**

Kain's eyes freeze for a moment, colder than The Void, then he says, "Our orders are to bring these angels down as well. These are orders. They come from The Highest Himself. No relations, no beliefs may bind you, men. Do not lend yourselves to doubt. We must not stop until the last has fallen to the frozen flames!"

Cuore begins to laugh. Benjamin and Arazlam have already made their way near to her, likely for protection. She doesn't know what it means to feel, Cuore. She lived a normal life, but her afterlife has made her as weird as her sisters. Here she is, in the Lair of the God of her world, a being her sisters once controlled. She, created by a Rival God. And now she faces Kain, one who her sisters also controlled. One who, as far as the dockets say, was a friend to her in life.

"Kain Highwind. Ever the traitor, aren't you?" She says.

"We have our orders," Kain says, more to the angelic host behind him than to her, "fire at will."

The angels draw their weapons. How best to describe them I cannot say. Suffice that they are weapons, ranged, and lethal. They don't hesitate. They fire their volleys, and for a moment, I'm willing to believe that's the end. But then Bahamut fans His wings and shields us.

**STUBBORN CHILDREN. RUN, WHILE YOU STILL CAN!**

"Let us fight with you!" I shout, the blood suddenly pumping inside me, the fear, and doubt and hurt shoved back inside.

**CHILD. GO. **_**NOW**_**.**

At His insistence, I do. I turn, and run. Cuore and the others, seeing my flight, run as well. And we run. And run. We run from that reality to the next. And to the next. And we don't look back. I don't let myself think about what becomes of Bahamut. I don't let myself wonder why He helped us, and opposed Cid the Lufaine, if moments earlier He told us He considered Cid His friend. My head is buzzing with questions, and the occasional expletive, but all through it, I keep seeing him.

Damn him.

Kain Highwind . . .


	5. Chapter 5 Lightning Love Affair

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING REMEMBERS**

It was eons ago, when first I met him. Was I born yet? Who can say. Memories become fuzzy like that when you're dead. Whether we realized our feelings or not that first time is hard to say. He was brooding, but well-mannered, and I was rough, if somewhat more open. We were angels from opposite ends of Heaven, and we met on a mission. We had several rebels to take down. Easy job. Target's a target, I reckon, and as it happened, so did he.

We were up against supports of Gerun, who was making another bid at Heaven's Throne. They weren't exactly the sort I liked to meet. What were they called again? Ah, they called themselves Glabados. Whatever that meant. It was a pretty low-key mission, but the orders had come from the Choir of the Elohim. Strange, that the Gods of the Gods would be so interested in such small-time renegades like Glabados.

Our rendezvous was a place known as StarWorld. A strange spot that is considered one of the few places where Life and Eternity intersect. I wasn't a fan, but I needed the pay. The roads may be paved with gold up here, but things can be pretty damn boring without an economy. Oh, sure, I wouldn't DIE, but on the chance I wanted to eat, I'd need money.

Turns out Paradise isn't as perfect as we'd hoped.

I arrived early. I always do. If you're late, someone can get the jump on you. If you want control on any situation, you need control of your surroundings. Since I could get it, I got it. The area wasn't one of great concern. Just a bunch of rocks and floating, smiling, staring stars. Strange as I found it, I discovered that some of the stars were actually useful to one in combat. So I allowed it. The entire place had a strange, maritime feel I couldn't shake. But I suppose it didn't exactly detract. I've been to weirder places before, I guess.

Kain arrived on the dot. He wasn't what I'd expected from the dockets. I'd read of a Holy Dragon Knight, a man in white and blue armor, armed with a spear and flowing golden hair. Typical Seraphim, you know? This was different. This was a man in a simple drab cloak, dirty blonde at best. At the time I hadn't found anything very attractive. Just another angel. Good or evil, just a tool to earn a bit of food. I was thinking I'd be trying some Tonberry Stew. They claimed it was hard to make, given the nature of the meal. Anything to skip out on eating more Ambrosia.

We exchanged greetings, and discussed briefly the mission. The plan was to get ourselves caught by the foe, lure them into a false sense of security, and then, when they weren't expecting, take them down. Underhanded move, for ones who claimed to, literally, be holier than thou. But like I said, Paradise isn't what you might think.

The job went off differently than I'd expected. I'd figured we'd just walk into them and get caught for snooping about. Kain, however, had another idea. We'd taken just a few steps toward the enemy base, a bar named "7th Heaven" when, of a sudden, I felt an arm around my waist, and another on my shoulder. The one on my shoulder pushed me back, and as I was about to speak, lips against mine.

I was, of course, pissed. I struggled for a minute. I found it impressive how strong this nobody seemed to be. He had me pinned. I brought up my knee to hit him in the groin, but as I raised my leg, his foot slammed mine down. So I tried to hit him. In the back, in the neck, in the head. My arms couldn't get a good enough angle, and, for whatever reason, he didn't flinch. He just held me, and pressed his body against mine. My anger was rising, and as I was about to reach for my sword, a voice spoke up near us.

Kain released my lips and turned to face the man who'd spoken. I glanced over, too. I'd kill Highwind after we'd finished here. Besides, he still had me pinned.

The man who'd spoken wasn't anybody of not. A two-bit hume by the name of Gaffgarion and his half-Guado associate; one Seymour Guado. What put the two of them together, Gods only know. I wasn't that interested in asking. There was nothing in the mission specs about intel gathering. So as Kain backed away from me, I reached for my sword. The enemy had come unaware, and unsuspecting. They had only heard the ruckus, and saw only two angels, straying from Heavens' Holy Rite. They put up no fight at the time. We dispatched them, and entered the bar.

I never did get a good look at who was inside that bar. No sooner had we entered than Kain threw off the ratty disguise, and showed himself in all his Seraphic glory. It was impressive, I guess, but it was also short-lived. The rest of the mooks inside, all second rate villains who'd once come near to victory, were all taken down in moments. I understand they were all trying to bring back Gerun in order to jump-start their own careers. Pathetic.

And that was our relationship for the next Gods-Know-How-Long. We'd meet for a mission. He'd find an excuse to try and get in my skirt, we'd kick some ass, and then we'd split. He was Kain Highwind, Seraph, servant of the Gods, and I was codename: Lightning, the rouge who was under constant surveillance by the Heavens. Looking back, I wonder if the entire time I was with Kain, he wasn't under orders to do just that.

It was our 17th "date" I suppose you might call it, that our relationship really started. These things happen when you work with someone. Propinquity, they call it. The feelings that come from closeness. It's always something that seems convenient, because the person involved is close. When you face the same stress, you sort of develop a bond. And, as was our classic, text-book case, one opens up to the other.

I'd read his docket, of course. I knew all about Rosa Farell. The woman he'd been pining for since time immemorial. He'd likely read mine. Knew I had a husband out there somewhere. But like I said, paradise isn't exactly as perfect as we'd all hoped. Heaven is a broken and surreal place. It's like Life, with almost all its problems, but different, since these things aren't supposed to exist. And, believe it or not, Hell is still supposed to be much, much worse.

But even knowing what we did about each other, we started talking during that 17th mission. It was just shuttling of Behemoths back to Hell, boring as the place we were going to, and so we needed to talk. What we chatted about I don't remember. You know how these things go. Girl meets Boy. Boy charms Girl. They talk, they flirt, they expel some unholy abominations back to the fiery abyss from which they sprang. Girl falls madly in love with Boy. Boy, of course, has only one thing on his mind.

After dropping the monstrosities into the hands of the demons we were told would be waiting, Kain suggested it. That same old, oh so very, very cliché, "Hey, why don't you come back to my place tonight? Yours is a bit too far," as if distance meant anything. And I, Gods, how could I, for all my supposed age, have been so blind and naïve? Of course I consented. I knew where we were going and why, and I wanted it, sure, but looking back, Gods how I hate myself.

He knew how to set the scene, that was certain. His home was luxurious, and the bedroom had its own fire burning. I didn't wait, and neither did he. He took me the way he did the first time. Only this time, my flesh yielded to his. For what must have been the first time in a thousand years, I gave control up to someone else. I felt us entwine, and I felt alive again. I thought that night that he loved me. You know how stupid people can be. I thought the sweat that ran from his body to mine meant something. That our cries in the fading fire were like a song, only he and I knew. And for a long, long time I treasured that feeling.

And for years after that, it seemed like he did love me. It was all perfect. It really was heaven. We moved in together, and for a time, I entertained the thought of hunting down my husband, annulling our marriage, and wedding this Kain Highwind. Sure, in the start he still had the Rosa baggage to be overcome, but at the same time, whenever I was with him, I thought he was forgetting her. That I was good for him, stupid as that sounds. That with me, he wouldn't need her.

Gods, but I was an idiot. How could I have hoped to compete with a woman he'd been obsessed with for millions of years?

Things hit their peak just before the now infamous "Choir of Cids" convened to "discuss" The Cosmos Report. We were home again. I can't stop thinking of that place as home. Yet I hate even remembering it. We were making love, for, ironically, our very last time, when at last I heard it. Faint, but distinct in my ears. The word of words. Name of names. Unforgiveable in the extreme.

"Rosa."

To say the least, we stopped then and there. A fight ensued. And I'm not ashamed to admit I let loose hell, naked and aroused as I was. Things broke, sharp objects flew, and I screamed louder and angrier than I had ever before felt. I was betrayed, and in a way I had never hoped to be. I grabbed the nearest article of clothing- a simple robe of his- and left. I went the only place I could think; I went back to my sister's.

We saw each other the next day, he and I. I remember still how I was dressed. Basic, civilian clothing, just like my sister. They were, of course, her clothes, right down to the panties. I'd left so soon I hadn't brought any with me. It was shameful, and embarrassing, but since I was the only one who knew that, I suppose I didn't care. He was wearing his armor. Bright, shining, and heroic. Ever the servant of the Gods.

Occasion permitted. We were at The Council of the Cids. He was on security detail to some Cid or another. And I, well, I was there because a friend asked me to go. We stood silently as Cid Pollendina, Cid Kramer, Cid del Norte Marquez, and Al-Cid Margrace delivered their versions of the story, of the things happening within Castle Cosmos. We heard from other Cids, Cid Orlandeau, Cid Segundo, Cid Highwind. And of course, a crystal spoke with the voice of Cid Previa. The Scholar.

We were shocked by the reaction of Cid of the Lufaine, who accused publicly The Scholar's party of treason to Heaven, and separated by the chaos that ensued. I'd wanted that day to Kain, to take back what I'd done, to try and patch things up. But in the madness, there'd been no chance. No chance at all. He was one the High Seraphs. He had to pursue the enemy Cids. Even Pollendina, who'd been a friend of his for ages. Even I knew Pollendina through Kain. As great and loving a man as any. Seeing Kain pursue so close a friend of his, I felt unsure about where "we" would stand, even if we patched things up.

If he'd hunt a friend as dear as that, I figured, who was I to him? Kain was a man of duty. His fealty to the Throne of Heaven was made very clear that day, and he won himself a spot amongst the greatest of heroes. And on that day he became the single most feared angel in Heaven. Unlike the rest of the Seraphim, he was relentless and ruthless in his pursuit of the Cids. To this day, of course, he hasn't caught a single one of them.

Today I've learned another, and important lesson. Kain Highwind has no soul. He doesn't feel. If he did, he should have shuddered to turn against a God as revered as Bahamut. But he didn't. And so if Kain Highwind, so caught up in Justice, forgets Mercy, then when next I meet him, I won't show it to him either. If its Jusice he wants, then that's what I'll give him. To err is mortal, to forgive divine.

Gods, when was the last time Heaven forgave someone?

If there is no justice in this Life, then it shall come in Eternity.

When was the last time there was any Justice in Heaven? What is Justice? Who determines it? Who are the Gods? Who made them, and what gives them the right? Their own power seems to be the simple answer. Might, it seems, is right. He who is Mightiest is He who is Rightest here in Heaven.

Well I don't like it. And I'm going to bring it all down. No more Kains. This is the plan. This is what I was asked to do. I'll bring it all down around me. And in the end, there'll be no more Gods, and no more Graves. Heaven's a joke, and I'll bring it to its punch-line. When I finish, there'll be no Hell, no Heaven, and no Void.

What there WILL be, I don't know yet.


	6. Chapter 6 Bridge to a Heartache

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

If time were relevant still, I'd say we've been running for a few weeks now. What's become of Bahamut, we're not sure. I think their keeping the story out of the public's view for as long as they can. When word gets out that Bahamut has been thrown in The Void, though, the situation will get much, much worse. He was a God beloved of many. One of the last good ones, I've heard. Me? I don't much care. Gods are enemies. Every last one of them.

We're hiding at a location called The Bend of Time. It's hard to say much about this place. Just a street-square, lamp-post, gates, a hotel, and that's about it. Not a lot of people here, either. Seems fairly abandoned. Best not to think too much about it. Benjamin tried to figure it out when we got here. He's been out cold, ever since. But at least it's secluded. We've got time to rest up.

Cuore sits down in front of me. Her green hair hides one of her eyes. Maenad aren't normal travelling companions, and they don't normally help people, but Cuore's different. She's twisted, but she's helpful. Tonight it seems she's experimenting with the emotion "Sympathy." She puts her hand out in front of her, on my kneecap, and smiles at me. Usually, when Cuore smiles, nothing good is about to happen.

"Hey, kid. You want to talk about it?"

Well I can see today isn't any different. "No idea what you're talking about," I lie, "What I want to do is plan our next move.

She frowns at this. She doesn't seem to believe I can be this cold about it. Well she's about to learn just what "I don't give a Moogle's pom-pom" means. "Awww, c'mon now. Bennie and Al are worrying Al's brain about that, so us girls can chat. I'd say Ben was using his brain, too, but he doesn't really seem to HAVE one, you know?"

"Cute. Now we're using pet names?"

"No? Nothing? Do you even HAVE a funny bone in that body of yours? Seriously, it's like you're DEAD or something."

"I _am_ dead, and so are you."

"You sure about this? Damn, death sucks, then. I mean, it looks a hell of a lot like life, doesn't it?"

"Did you have high expectations? Religion'll do that to you."

"Funny thing about that, wouldn't you agree? Whenever a religion worships a male, humanoid God, he invariably turns out to be evil or falsified, and whenever they worship a dragon, he's good. And for them to worship a GOOD humanoid, it's got to be a woman. Strange, huh? It's almost like-"

"Poorly written fiction, I know. Now, does this conversation have a point Cuore? We need to be thinking our strategy out."

"I already _TOLD_ you. Benjamin and Arazlam are working on it. Now it's time for me and you to have a heart to heart!"

"You don't have a heart and I killed mine a long time ago."

"How does the old saying go? 'She'd slit her mama's throat for a nickel?'"

"Cuore. Shut up."

"Hey now," Cuore says, "That's not fair."

"Why do Ahriman have one eye?"

"What? Um, I dunno."

"See, nothing's fair. Get used to it." And with that, I'm on my feet and walking. I've had enough of this idle prattle. It's time we got out of this place, and finish our journey. I'm getting anxious. If it were up to me, I'd have stormed The Sacred Nebula the minute I got my hands on Omega, but something bothers me. The way Bahamut spoke, it was as though there was a trick to using the sword. And the way He spoke, it was as though it was something MORE than just a sword capable of taking down Gods. I wonder . . .

Arriving at Benjamin and Arazlam, I put the question forward, "Well? Where to?"

Arazlam, something of the group brain, exchanges an uneasy glance with Benjamin, our group . . . well, Benjamin. "Well, that's a good question. We've got Omega Weapon, and now we know something The Scholar didn't."

"We know a lot that The Scholar didn't," I say, "For starters, that Cid Prime is in support of the Endless Cycle."

"Yes," Arazlam replies, "But there's more we know than just that. We've found out about this Shinryuu, The Crystal World, and a bit of the history of things."

"So," Benjamin adds, "the problem is our enemies, Cid Lufaine, Cosmos, and Chaos are all Gods. We haven't got much of a chance against them unless we're sure Omega works."

"Which means," Cuore chimes in, appearing behind us, "we need to test it."

"Right." Arazlam says. "But you don't just hack at any old God you'd like. That'd make us no better than them."

"That's not a problem," I say, "there are plenty of corrupt Gods to choose from. Minerva comes to mind, for example."

"Now, now," Benjamin says, "Just because YOU don't like her-,"

"Mister, if I said it, I said it," I say, getting a bit closer, just to remind him who is who here.

Arazlam clears his throat, then says, "That aside, we're still totally uninformed on a number of things. What Cid Lufaine wants, who this Shinryuu is, and how to even get AT them. For that matter, Omega is a total mystery to us. Which is why we need to go somewhere where we can learn more."

"Which is?"

"The Crystal World."

"Oh, right, the unfindable place. That's going to be easy."

"Well," Arazlam's looking pensive, now, and a bit uneasy, "If you recall, The Crystal World _WAS_ found once."

"Yeah," I say, "But the people who broke in there met harsh consequences, as I recall. Kuja was jailed on the Cleft of Dimensions, and Necrophobe's been hunted to this day."

"Exactly," Arazlam's approval of the assessment is strange to me. Why is he so cheery about it? "But ask yourself, WHO chases them?"

The Choir of the Seraphim. The Paladins, most likely."

"Oh, sure, but that isn't all."

"You don't mean- "

"I do."

"What?" Ben asks, "I'm feeling pretty left out here. I totally don't know where this is going!"

"You honestly can't say?" Cuore responds, surprised by Benjamin's lack of perception.

"NO! Is that a problem? I don't speak 'cryptic exposition and dramatic overtones-ese' okay? GODS."

"That's enough!" I snap, "It means we're looking for the 'Mini-Bosses,' that's what it means."

"Oh, no," Benjamin groans, "not THOSE guys. They're so, so, so-,"

"Wacky." Cuore finishes. Cute, they argue all the time, and when they don't, she completes his thoughts. You might almost say they actually liked each other, if it weren't for the fact that we had to establish a "Cuore sleeps here, and Benjamin there" rule in the beginning to keep her from killing him while we slept.

"So that's it, then. We need to get into the Crystal World to figure out what Cid Lufaine is up to, and to do that, we need to ask Necrophobe how to GET IN there, or speak to Kuja, who's being detained in the prison at the Cleft of Dimensions. Either way we need to speak to Gilgamesh and his cronies to pull it off. Which leaves just one last question," I say, summarizing in the hopes that, this time, Benjamin gets it.

"Where's Gilgamesh?" Benjamin asks.

"Exactly. He never seems to be around when anyone is looking for him, and he always shows up when he ISN'T wanted. He hasn't been seen in Heaven or Hell since the Council of Cids."

"Well then, " Cuore interrupts, "this ought to be easy enough then. We just go where he is LEAST wanted."

"And where would that be?"

"Have you forgotten?" She asks, her eyes beginning to sparkle the way a psychopath's do the first time he dissects his first live kitten, "It's the anniversary of the wedding of two of the mightiest Seraphim in all of Heaven. Everyone who is everyone in the White Magic and Lawful Good industries is going to be there. Any angel who even _hopes_ of one day being a God will be in attendance."

"You don't mean-,"

"Don't do that! I never understand when you do that! Why do you people have to have such cryptic means of exposition!"

"Yep. We're gonna crash the party of one Cecil Harvey and Rosa Farrell."

"Gods have mercy!" Arazlam exclaims, "That place will be crawling with people who want to mount our heads on a stick! These people are FRIENDS with the angel who was sent to off bloody BAHAMUT, lass! The security will be maddening strong, not to mention the _guests of honor!_"

"Exactly. With all that security, no one would EVER think of attacking the place. And with such prestigious and pompous attendance, the security detail would never, EVER want somebody as utterly mad as Gilgamesh and his posse around."

"And since it's a party," Benjamin offers, "The biggest of the big won't be armed."

"No one expects it," Cuore continues, "Therefore, it's the best bet."

"I like it," I say, "Mostly because it's stupid and crazy. But also because if it works, we're going to scare the hell out of the best and brightest angels in Heaven."

"Well then," Arazlam says, "We'd better find some suitable clothing, at the least."


	7. Chapter 7 Beach Called Romantic

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

The time is now just a little before sunset. The location? A beach called Romantic. The place is said to be composed of the romantic impulses and desires of all things. I've got to hand it to them, it's actually pretty easy on the eyes. The occasion? The Anniversary of the wedding of one Cecil Harvey, Seraphim, 1st Class, to Rosa Joanna Farrell, Seraphim, 1st Class. It is, quite literally, the biggest event in Seraphic and White Magic culture this side of the divide between Heaven and Hell. And there are bogies here to spare.

I count at least Minh Wu, Ser Banon, Aerith Gainsborough, and Eiko Carol present. High level white magic users. We're talking Holy spells like there's no tomorrow. And then there's the friends of the family. Porom and Palom, Rydia of Mist, Edge, Ceodore Harvey, Leonora of Troia, the list goes on. Two notable faces are, however, missing today: Theodor "Golbez" Harvey, who, as far as I know, had been paroled from the Cleft after aiding Chaos in His last bid at Reality, and Cid Pollendina, who is wanted for Treason, and is the official enemy of his friends and family. Looks like amnesty doesn't come, even today.

Everyone at the party is dressed in white, while the décor is done in traditional coloring; white with red borders. So, of course, if we're going to pass for members of the party, we have to be prepared. Which is why, of course, we're dressed to our heels in what must be the most expensive clothing I've ever worn. Robes are the official angelic dress, but these things are generally only worn in choirs these days. We are dressed . . . much more, what's the term, "stylish," than that.

I am in what has to be the worst armor ever. It's a revealing white dress, no shoulders, open in the back, secured just barely above the waist-line, and slit down the side. My sword is tied to my leg, which is concealed by a secondary layer within the skirt, making only one leg visible, but limiting my ability to lay hands on the weapon if time requires. Naked as I feel, and ridiculous as the costume is, it will suit the mission well. I need it for quick pursuit of Gilgamesh when he shows up.

Arazlam has opted for a suit-robe combination. White, with a red tie, tied in a neat square at his throat. His beard has been trimmed, and, frankly, it's the best I've ever seen him. He usually looks like a mess, and tonight, I bet he is one, too, despite the look. His ancestor, Cidolfas Orlandeau is likely in the audience as well. The party is supposedly neutral ground, inasmuch as angels who serve Faram can be here, despite the fact that Faram is likely on Lufaine's blacklist.

Benjamin looks the least like himself possible. His ridiculous cowlick has been put down, his face not quite so impish as normal, and his cloth whiter than the center of the suns worn upon the necks of Goddesses. He looks . . . different . . . I've never thought about him like this . . .

Moving along, there's Cuore. She looks marvelous in what I am told is a white hued version of a traditional Summoners' garb in Mist. It's almost hard to tell her apart from the descendants and ancestors of Rydia here today. Except the fact that she's a Maenad, which makes her just that much more . . . aggressive.

Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. It's been awhile since I've seen them so happy. Ever since we really started our mission, things have been pretty dark and heavy. The worst thing is that this party really ought to include them. They have friends and family here. Me? I . . . it's best to just leave my part a blank. But they've been caught up in a thing that isn't really their fault or their problem. They shouldn't have to be fugitives, just because of me. Before we poked the Dragon in his Lair, we were just on the watch list. But now? Now we'll run for the rest of Eternity.

Especially AFTER we succeed. No one will agree with this choice. Nobody wants us to win it. What we do can't be in their best interest. We are the villains this time. And I accept that. And they say they do, too, but, how can you just be comfortable with plotting the overthrow of the God of the Gods of the Gods? It's just apparent to me that what we do isn't for their best. I should never have involved them in this madness.

But that's enough moping. Kill the emotions. They'll only make you weak. No second thoughts. Just keep pushing forward. That's the only way to get through. Don't stop. Don't overthink. Just act. Target's a target. Reach objective. Achieve goal. Doubt only hinders, never helps. Kill doubt.

Time's up. The bride and groom will be calling attention to the party at any moment. Somebody'll be noting that we slipped past the guards at some point. We need to get moving. The sooner, the better. I just have to get to Benjamin and Cuore'll meet up with Arazlam at rendezvous-two, then it'll be show time. The idea is simple: make some noise, and Gilgamesh will come running into our embrace.

Cecil's calling attention to the party. What's he saying? Can't hear. Better get closer . . .

"Esteemed guests!" he cries, "Your attention, please!" The crowd turns to look at their host. "We welcome you tonight, to this, the 9,898,768,475,321,098 . . ." This goes on for a few moments, "anniversary of my wedding to the ever-stunning, ever-lovely, Rosa Joanna Farrell." Cecil turns to his wife, seated behind him. And what a stunner, too. At her age, but with the body of a succubus, and the spirit of a Seraphim. I bet she's all kinds of submissive around the house, never once forgetting her place.

Rosa rises and smiles to the assembled guests. "I hope everyone is enjoying themselves tonight. We have prepared a wonderful night for you, and I want special thanks given to Luca, who has planned this party for us. Our music tonight is being provided by the ever-talented 'Water Crystals'." We give a round of applause to the band. They really did perform well, and I bet a good amount was spent to have them here. "Tonight, before we proceed, we'd like to welcome a very special guest to our midst."

My stomach freezes as the words part her lips. A trap? Could they know? No, no, that can't be. And as I see the light shimmer behind Rosa, I know that no trap could ever be worse than what is now coming. It can only be . . .

"The Lady Cosmos."

The light flares in a flash somewhere between a nuclear blast and a sun ray. When it subsides, there She stands, in all Her glory. Cosmos has come as a Goddess, and so Her form reflects. Of Herself, She is a woman with shining golden skin, eyes bluer than a cool mountain lake's water. She has hair so blonde it's white. Her body is, of course, perfect. Perfect proportions, form, and grace. It appears, I'd wager, differently, in the mind of every person here, to reflect what his or her idea of a perfect woman's body looks like. Nice trick, but that's all. She is dressed in a form-fitting white gown, with a series of gossamer shawls draped about Her. She emanates light. Her breathe comes out in little puffs of wisp, implying frost, rather than Bahamuts' flame.

**GOOD EVENING.** She says, Her voice echoing throughout the shore. **I AM SO PLEASED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.**

"Lady Cosmos has come on our special request," Rosa explains. "To tell you all about a glorious new era which, from this day forth, will shape the Heavens!"

"That is correct," Cecil adds, "From now onward, this joyous occasion will represent, not only the anniversary of our marriage, but also the beginning of a new Heaven!"

**THANK YOU DEAR FRIENDS.** Cosmos says, smiling in a way that warms the heart, even as the conversation cheers mine. **YOU ARE TOO KIND.** She turns to address the assembled host of Heavens' finest White Mages and Seraphim. **BELOVED FRIENDS, WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. LOOK AROUND YOU. MARK WELL THE FACES OF THOSE YOU SEE. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO FORGET THIS DAY.** She realizes just how much Her voice must be hurting everyone's head, and so She tones Her voice a bit. Just a smidge.

**Have you all seen how Heaven is these days?** She asks.** I have. Heaven is not what I expected it to be. It has disappointed me. Hasn't it disappointed you? To be sure, you are the best of Heaven, and reap only the great things it has to offer. Nevertheless, you cannot be blind to how things are. So much . . . SIN . . . would you not agree? But who is to blame for all of this? How can Hellspawn be in Heaven? What is happening? I will TELL you what is happening. We are not united, here in Heaven. There are traitors amongst us. Angels, not unlike Ultima, the High Seraph, who would betray us all. Demons with harps and halos. This betrayal and corruption is vast, and wide-spread. It can be found everywhere, and in everyplace. It goes from the just-deads to the very Choir of Elohim. It is something which worries The High One, that so many here could be traitors. That there may be more like The Scholar, or his angels. Usurpers, who would put an end to all you hold sacred. **

** Which is why I am here. The High One wants to know who is with Him, and who is not. He hopes for your support, you see. Support for what? For the New Heaven. Which makes me pleased to announce His Great Will. ** The space behind Her unfurls, revealing banners, long and beautiful, bearing Cosmos' face, with the following phrase written upon them: "Compassion Is the Flag the Righteous Man Will Hold."

**We face a great task. What task is that? The purification of our home. Today we begin the great work of ridding Heaven of SIN! Who is with me?**

Silence for a moment, and then applause. All present seem to be roaring with joy. Why shouldn't they? Opposition's price, it can be only one thing. And it is time that was made clear. I crouch a moment, and slide a hand inside my dress, untying my sword. Omega unsheathed, I make my stand. Hell, I'm already a wanted woman.

"Is that so?" I say, getting on top of a table, Omega in hand. "Is that what you claim to be doing?"

**HOW QUAINT. I HADN'T EXPECTED YOU TO BE ON THE GUEST LIST.**

"Yeah? Well, see, I'm here to remind you that that isn't how Heaven works. This isn't some little private party we're running up here. This is home to everyone! This is for people who _want_ to be perfected, or did you forget that?"

**I don't believe I understand what you are implying. Are you sure this is what you want, miss? You already have enough crime on your head.**

"Crime! What crime! Is that what this is to you? Thinking is a crime now, huh? I bet that The Scholar and his friends are guilty of these same crimes!"

**Child, I will not long tolerate this insolence.**

"Then tell us! Gathered here are the close personal friends of Cid Pollendina, known as The Engineer, who served with The Scholar, and has been missing since he worked for you. What crime did he commit that all your dogs now hunt him?"

"Aye!" Arazlam shouts, suddenly atop another table, "What were the crimes of Cid Marquez, that The Messenger, is no longer able to even see his family?"

"Tell us!" Cuore roars, suddenly floating above the crowd, "What did Cid Kramer, The Chronicler, do, to merit a heretic's brand?"

"I don't know what we're all shouting for!" Benjamin joins, "But it seems dramatic!"

**Would you know? Do you claim to seek the truth?** The silent crowd indicates the interest of all in this matter. **THEN BEHOLD WHAT THEY HAVE DONE!** As if from nowhere, Cosmos' hair grows out, quick and angry, piercing the body of every angel present. A light travels along the strands, and, when it hits me, it slowly writhes through my nervous system, until arriving at my brain, at which point it sends . . . images.

GODS, Oh Gods, what is this? I can see Heaven burning. I can see reality cracking, down to the smallest point. Angels everywhere are screaming, bursting into flames. Hell's gate is flung wide open, and the Devil and His Angels are running across all of Heaven. The Void is spreading, consuming. The Prison at the Cleft is opened, and oh GODS, what was that? Kefka! Or was that Kuja? Did he just bite that God's head off? Oh . . . oh no . . . why, why is this all happening?

The scene, it shifts, no, moves. From the bleeding clouds to the Throne of The Highest. The Highest is dead . . . Omega is burning in His chest . . . before Him stands a woman, dressed in darkest red . . . she's kneeling, God, is that me? She- I- We? Is praying to a man emerging from The Highest's chest-wound. It, it can't be! I know this man. He is my friend. And yet . . . he takes Omega in his hand, and then removes the Crown from His head, and places it on his own. He strikes the woman down. A shining, golden dragon made from crystals moves to oppose the New High One, and is struck down, shattering in pieces.

Hell and The Void oppose Him, but they fail. He destroys them, and then, with the power unleashed by Omega, he destroys Himself, and in so doing, creates a New Heaven in His Image . . .

I fall to my knees, shocked and harmed by the vision shown me. Cosmos' ploy has worked beautifully.

**THIS IS THE FUTURE THE SCHOLAR SOUGHT. NO FREEDOM. SLAVERY, TO HIMSELF. HE WAS AS CORRUPT AS THOSE WHOM HE SO DESPISED. AND ON THAT NOTE END I YOUR EXISTANCE. THE ORDER OF THE MORNING STAR WILL REMOVE YOU NOW.**

As she says it, I don't believe it. Weapons appear already before a select few. Cecil Harvey, their leader. Kain Highwind, his ever faithful second hand. Cidolfas Orlandeau, their monstrous powerhouse. Basch fon Ronsenburg. Cid Randell. Leon Esla. Mighty men, armed with holy weapons, sent at Heaven's request to kill us, and soon. They start to bear down on us, and I know I can't fight them. It is at this moment that salvation comes to us in the most unexpected of ways.

**WHAT IS THIS!** Cosmos roars, the attention of all suddenly drawn to Her. Upon Her head rests a mug, and from it the drips a smooth, black liquid. A strong smell fills the air. In front of The Lady stands a man in a black suit, with a red vest, and white tie. Around his head is tied a red ribbon, which obscures his eyes.

"That's a cup of steaming hot justice, madam," he responds. "Hot Coffee. You looked like you wanted some."

**WHO ARE YOU?**

"Hey there, kitten. Calm down a moment. No need for a pretty lady to get upset. Me? I've come from the depths of Hell to do battle with you and your kind. My name? _Gilgamesh._"

"Really?" Someone says, "That's funny. I thought _MY_ name was Gilgamesh." Behind Cosmos a duplicate of the man before Her has appeared. No sooner does he claim himself to be Gilgamesh, than three others appear, each claiming themselves to be the one, true Gilgamesh.

**SILENCE!** Cosmos roars, to shut them up. **WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS SIN. AND STOP SAYING YOU'RE GILGAMESH, HE'S-**

"Been sent to Hell? Kitten, no need to show me your claws. I've been there, and now I'm here. You think I can be confined by things like 'prisons'? The only prison that holds me, is my soul."

**THEN ALLOW ME THE HONOR OF SETTING YOU FREE.** Cosmos unleashes more of the hair-tendrils at the Gilgameshs, but each one dodges. Which defies logic, given that you can't evade an attack by a Goddess. Yet they not only dodge, but do so with style.

"Now then, kitten, I guess that's enough talk, huh?" He smiles, his teeth appearing somewhat . . . jagged, "Let's settle this man-to-Goddess, huh?" Cosmos shrieks in anger, and strikes out at these men in black. Each of them vanishes when she does so, before appearing behind Her Seraphim, and striking them in the necks, knocking each one to the floor. The one nearest to me takes Omega from my hand with a smile.

"Hello there pretty lady," he says, "I'd ask you to a nice party I'm going to tonight, but seems to me we're already there. You _are_ quick, aren't you?" Then he vanishes again.

The Gilgamesh group appear around Cosmos again, each one wielding an Omega of his own. The sword looks somehow different in his/their hands, and it's apparent that Cosmos has noticed this as well. Her eyes reflect fear. Real, actual fear.

"Now then kitten, I've just used the famous Item Duplication Trick mark 4 to clone this weapon that, word has it, kills Gods. I've got three simple questions for you. Wanna see me use it?"

**YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED.**

"Really now? I'll take that as a yes." They move forward, and Cosmos calls for them to stop. She apparently has failed. She hoped they/he was bluffing. Looks like he/they weren't. "Question two: Will you let us leave with Ms. Farron and her friends without pursuit, or am I gonna have to see what you have under that dress . . . and under that skin . . . and under those muscles . . . and inside your organs . . . ?"

**YOUR ESCAPE WILL LEAVE YOU MARKED WITH THESE TRAITORS.**

"Kitten, you sent me to Hell. You think I'm on your side? Question three, then," He stops, from nowhere produces a mug of coffee, swallows it in one go, then, exhaling in satisfaction, asks, "What is the name of the wife of Cid of the Lufaine? Not His current wife, but the one He had in mortality."

Cosmos does not answer at first. She seems hesitant. One Gilgamesh advances, and another outright prods Her with Omega. She growls in frustration. For the Goddess who was supposed to be starting a nightmarish legion just now, this must be humiliating to the extreme. This is hardly the first time that Gilgamesh, if this IS Gilgamesh, will have frustrated Her plans entirely. When the one behind Her walks up, slides one arm around Her neck, and another along Her hip, applying the slightest of pressure at both points, She finally answers. "Mio."

As soon as this single word leaves Her golden lips, the little beach called Romantic explodes in a burst of light. Thousands of Seraphim and Gods appear as it fades. All of them are armed to the teeth, and none of them happy. It looks like Cosmos was also ready for Gilgamesh, and only had to bide Her time for the trap to spring.

Gilgamesh looks at his selves, and says, "Well, gentlemen, looks like we're leaving now. Grab the guests and we'll be on our way." They vanish from before Cosmos, and as the Gods and Seraphim begin to bear down on us, a Gilgamesh appears by each of us. One shows up in front of me, grabs my wrist, and before I know it, he's pulling me into some manner of tunnel. And where we're going, nobody knows.


	8. Chapter 8 Hot Coffee

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

My bones feel like someone took a hammer and hit me a hundred-thousand times. I feel, well, awful. Like something ran me down. Twice. Oh, GODS, my head hurts. I can't tell if I've got any broken bones or not. Huh, bones broken in Heaven, who'd've guessed? What's going on, anyway, where am I?

I look around as I try to pull myself up. I manage to prop myself on my elbows, and as I gaze about, I can tell I'm in some kind of town. It's strange. The air here seems to be, well . . . still. I'm lying in the street, but nothing threatens me. The town seems to be at once ancient, and yet modern. The garb the angels wear here is . . . uncanny, to say the least.

"Need a hand there, Kitten?" says the Gilgamesh voice behind me. He comes around, and there he is. Still dressed absolutely nothing like the Gilgamesh so many of us know. He offers his hand and I, pride-scarring as it is, accept. It hurts to be lifted to my feet. It hurts to stand. I feel suddenly an arm around my waist, and my other arm is wrapped about his shoulders. Smooth, I'll give him that. Who knew that Gilgamesh had a way with women?

"Where are we?" I ask, trying to look around. It hurts too much to turn my neck, though.

"This, Kitten, is the Phantom Village. A safe place. The only place neither God in Heaven nor the Devil in Hell can touch. In this town, there is no God. Or I'm God. Whichever. Never did stop to find out that one . . ."

"Right. I'm not gonna ask about that, then." Shooting pains, "Oh GODS!" I think a rib of mine just fell out. I haven't felt this much pain in . . .

"Hey now, miss. Don't push yourself. I can go all night if you want."

"Heh, shut up."

"You're feeling more things because you aren't in Heaven any more. This place is closer to Life than Eternity, so you won't be hopped up on Ambrosia with the Lotus-Eaters they have up there."

"I take it you aren't a fan of Heaven."

"To err is mortal, forgive divine. It's been a long time since Heaven forgave. "

"Should it? Isn't it supposed to be a perfect place?"

"That's another thing, Kitten. If it's so perfect, how come we aren't?"

"You got me there. So, are you the real Gilgamesh, or one of the dopplegangers?"

"Here's an idea. You and me tonight. You can take off every last piece of clothing I'm wearing, and see if it's a disguise. The catch? I get to remove yours after."

"One more line like that and I'll kill you. Even if I die at the same time."

"There are only so many perfect breasts in Heaven; it'd be a shame to have to ram a dagger through yours."

"Flattering."

"Don't worry. You get used to it."

"I hope not."

"We'll, Kitten, we're here."

I look forward. It's a strange looking building. It keeps trying to decide if it wants to be a medieval pub, or a more information-age club. Either way, we go inside. Inside is a place that, for a moment, causes my stomach to heave. It's red, and squirming. All manner of shapes dance about, changing in appearance. From dragons to bombs to ahriman to moogles. When I think I'm about to really vomit, the scene stabilizes into what is at once an opera house and a rock concert. Gilgamesh escorts me from the theater to a side room, draped with multi-colored curtains and psychedelic sheets. I see the others are all here. Hell, Benjamin and Cuore actually look like they've been enjoying themselves. The other Gilgameshes are also present.

I seat myself on one cushion shaped roughly like a chocobo, and readily accept the elixir handed me by Arazlam. As I drink it, and feel that wretched feeling of bones resetting themselves and blood flowing back into the body, Cuore pops the question that's been in our heads for a while.

"So, who the Hell are you guys?"

Gilgamesh smirks. Er, the one who brought me in. The one with Omega. "Well, if you insist there, pretty thing. I guess some introductions never hurt anyone. Boys?"

The first Gilgamesh outside the one equipped with Omega starts to hold his breath for a minute, then bursts as though made from paper. I count one, two, three, eight legs. Purple. By the laughter and ridiculously impossible grin, I'd say, "Iiiiiiiiiitt'sssssss ULTROS!" He shouts.

"Orothros, right?" another asks.

"No, ULTROS! I'm an octopus of fun! It's like eight-times the hilarity! I've even got a major motion picture!"

"That was Octopussy, not Octopus."

"SILENCE! I'm healthier than the sushi bar ever will be!"

The next one breaks into pieces, and from the shattered bits rises a woman who is rather plump and dressed in a queer purple one-piece. She looks at us rather dazedly, then mutters, "Yeah, so, um, I'm Cindy Magus and stuff . . . "

"What? Can't hear you chubby!"

"Hey, that's, well, that hurts and, you know . . ."

"Speak up you useless twit!" The berating Gilgamesh begins to deteriorate. When the last of his pieces fall off, revealing a ridiculous blonde woman dressed in what can only be described as a dress that lost a fight with whirling dervish. She winks at me, and even blows a kiss. "Leblanc, honey."

The final unGilgamesh is busy eyeing the large, er, necklace Leblanc is wearing. He proceeds to unzip his face, revealing a man in glittering armor. Never once does he take his eyes off that necklace as he introduces himself, quite simply, as "Goldor."

"Alright," I say, eyeing them as they jump into a formation. "So where's your transformation?" I ask the remaining Gilgamesh.

"Kitten, didn't I already tell you? We save that for tonight."

"Ha! Sounds like Heaven's nuttiest renegade has a crush on you," Cuore sneers, mockery positively dripping from her lips.

"I don't think I like that very much," Benjamin says.

"You don't think much period," Cuore quips.

"I don't like the red and flashy bit much these days. Draws too much attention. Heaven's been getting out of hand since the last time I wore the robes. People don't expect me to look like this. Too much is tied to appearance, savvy? So I go dressed like this. It has been a very, very, very long time since people saw me this way." Gilgamesh motions for his friends to leave, which they do, bickering the whole way. He promptly falls on a cushion shaped like a sand worm, and continues his speech. "This is Phantom Village, our home. We call ourselves The Mini-Bosses. We aren't much in number, but we've grown determined as of late. But enough expository banter. We have business to discuss."

"Namely, why did you save us?"

"I never leave a pretty lady in a jam, especially not when she's expecting me."

"You mean you knew we had come there to find you?"

"You could say that."

"How?"

"Does a magician reveal his tricks?"

"You really think I'm gonna leave it at that?"

"How about you come by my room tonight and I show you a few other tricks then? You seem so insistent on knowing them, I might as well _know_ you."

"You might have just saved my skin, but I'm willing to remove yours."

"Pity, all I want to do is see more of yours."

"I'll take yours off while you're still breathing."

"I wish you'd take off more than just that."

"How about your head."

"Only if you promise to give some after that."

"You-!"

"We came for Benjamin."

I think it would have been better if he'd punched me in the stomach. Did he really just say that? No way. No way he said BENJAMIN. Ben's, well, hell, we only brought him along for laughs . . . he doesn't have any worth, right . . . ?

"OBJECTION!" Benjamin shouts, "I object to this silence! Why're you all so stunned by the idea of someone coming for ME?"

"Well," Cuore says, "to put it bluntly, only a liar would ever say that."

"Or, to put it politely," ventures Arazlam, "You aren't usually in high demand."

"I am so! I'm just as talented as you guys! I can use bombs AND magic!"

"Bennie, sweetie? I can steal Summons. Which means I can manipulate Gods."

"Well I really never had much of a chance to prove myself in combat."

"And Lightning's the best sword since Orlandeau."

"But Bennie boy has something no one else has." Gilgamesh says, pouring himself another glass of that hot, strong-smelling liquid. He takes a big, long, drink, leaving us all wondering for a minute, then after exhaling loudly, he says, "The Shrug of Destiny."

"You have to be joking. This is so memetic," Cuore groans.


	9. Chapter 9 Inward Gilgamesh

**Gilgamesh, Legendary Swordsman.**

You must be wondering how we managed to all look the same. You may be asking yourself a few things now, like, "How much sexier can Gilgamesh possibly get?" and "How much of that stuff does he drink in a day?" and "How many licks does it take to-" What? Oh, okay. We'll skip that question, then. So we'll start with the first one.

You may have heard of our dear friend, Gogo, the legendary mimic. Well, when we started mounting this little Wild Rose of a Rebellion, Gogo was one of the founders. S/he proved most useful, and gave me the idea to go back to my classic look. Unfortunately, Gogo has some friends who are central to all of what's going on, and s/he wasn't so popular with the upper crust of Heaven these days.

It hasn't been long now since Lady Luck turned against Gogo. They came for him/her on his/her way back to the Phantom Village. Tried for the crime of conspiracy, Gogo was stripped of his/her wings, and sent to Hell. Hell itself has been crawling with all manner of strange occurrences these days. The whole thing looks like a Robot Master's wet dream; that is, security has been upped to the point where The Prodigal can't get in or out. And in what has to be the strangest move in ages, Hell spat Gogo out, and threw him/her into the worst of all places: The Void.

The Void isn't the best place to go. It can drive you insane in minutes. It is a place of absolute nothingness. There are times where the directions in there are banana and eyebrow. Where you breathe emotions and you see sounds and hear colors. If Gogo's still in there, the damage could be irreparable. The only hope s/he has of survival is his/her ability to mimic and blend. But this poses another threat. Perhaps s/he will become at one with the madness of The Void. If Gogo manipulates that all-consuming force, it could pose a threat to the fabrics of reality, but also give us the weapon we need to challenge The Gods.

What? You think you're the only ones on this fool's errand? No friends, you might be The Scholar's missionaries, you might not. But you aren't the only ones who are worried about Heaven, and soon, you won't be nearly so alone. That's part of why Phantom Village is still standing.

We started simple enough; just a club for people drifting the strands of universes. Wanderers who walked the wheels of time and space, and had lost themselves in one way or another. We still aren't high in numbers, but the gang's all here. Enkidu, Ultros, The Magus Sisters, Leblanc, you name it. Every renegade from Heaven and Hell. When we started to see how many were showing up here, we became sort of a middle ground. We're neutral ground. No Gods nor Devils allowed. Just the wayfaring souls who come in for a cup of something hot to warm their frozen spirits.

When they took Gogo, that was when we decided. Something isn't right in Heaven, and maybe it never was. We have to stop it. And that means it's time The Gods learned that we won't be treated as dirt. They can be mightier than us. Some may even be benevolent, but if at any moment they can just ship people off into a horrible and terrible inferno because they don't agree, well, that's not right be me. I don't know if you've noticed it, but The Gods are far from perfect, yet the demand such of us. And I'm not going to accept that.

So we need to find Gogo. S/he could be a key to the puzzle. If we use the Void, we're a threat, and that's what we need to be. Heaven has to be made right, and it has to be made right, soon. Yes, I know you have Omega, but, well, I'm not willing to use it. I'm crazy, but even I'm not that nuts. The Void is a long-shot on its own, but it's better than using Omega. Just that there's this tiny little catch: How do we find Gogo inside The Void? We'd need somebody who was sensitive to The Void, who understood it. Nobody in this town is on that level. We just like to use The Void to skip the traffic, you know? But we do know some people who DO know more.

Yes, that's right, I am indeed suggesting them. Famfrit, Fallen Goddess, Darkening Cloud, and Ex-Death, all that remains of more demons than I'd like to say. They have expertise in The Void. I'd suggest Enuo, but word has it he's still INSIDE The Void, so we're out of luck. We need them to tell us how to get Gogo out of there. And we need your help to get them out.

You see, I'm not exactly sane, am I? I keep myself pretty cool and smooth at the moment, but everybody who goes into The Void comes out a little mad. The Prison at Sanity's Edge- aptly named- sits at The Cleft of Dimensions in the Inter-dimensional Rift. Which is the fancy way of saying it sits between Heaven and Hell, and exactly above The Void. So the guards there are tougher than even the Seraphim selected by Cosmos to be Her new dogs. However, due to the nature of the location, our lovebirds are a little more like dodos and a little less like falcons, you got it?

And after much thought, we have determined one simple, smooth, and elegant move which will be handy in such a fight on the chance that we run into trouble in there; namely, Benjamin's Shrug of Destiny. He has enough power and apathy and foolishness in that one shrug that, given a chance, it could be devastating. You have to let go of what you see as "reality" and get with the bigger picture. You are currently in between Eternity and Time. Why question what happens in a place that exists between Heaven and Hell and above The Void? This isn't a question of "How" it's a question of "Where," got it?

In return, we'll help you find your way into The Crystal World. Oh, yes, I know how to get there. Enkidu very nearly went in once during a game of "Find Excalipur," our favorite, you see. So damn close to Necron that time, if only we had known . . . but I'm off-topic, aren't I.

You want to go there to find out about Omega, don't you? Yes, of course I can wield it, but no, I don't know the secret. I'm able because I neither know rules nor care for them. I am exempt from reality. I am free. Freer than any God has ever been. So when I put Omega in my hands, it obeys me. Why should a sword ever be the master of the greatest swordsman of all?

Huh? Shhh Siegfried, we all know it's true. I just don't see the point in denying it any more. No, I KNOW it isn't what your job class says, but when YOU make up your job class that hardly matters, does it now? Now come on, you can still be SECOND best. No? Fine, you can be the best blade-wielder of all time, how about that? Still no. Well, look, I'm kinda in the middle of something, so we can settle this in a sword fight afterwards, okay? Sound good to you? Yes, I thought you'd keep yourself quiet after that.

Now, where was I? Ah, yes. As I was saying, Benjamin's shrug is essential to both our quest and yours. We need him so we can get Gogo, and if we can get Gogo, we'll help you find your way back in to The Crystal World. It'll be hard, it'll be sticky, it'll be rough, we'll sweat, maybe even bleed if you're into that kinda thing. What? Sorry, talking about something entirely different here.

So, how about it. Do we have a deal? You want to use Omega and we want The Void. We all want to challenge The Gods, and we all know we'll need something to face Shinryuu, so why not call an alliance? After all, they say that war makes for the sexiest of bedfellows. Strangest, you say? Well, I can do strange. Arms aren't the only thing I can have multiples of, you know.

Er, moving on. I can tell you'll need a minute to think it over. A lot's happened since you went to Romantic. Sleep on it. I'll sleep on you, Miss Lightning. No? How about in you. Still no? This girl's harder to figure out than the whole "Time Kompression" thing Ultimecia was going on about. Frostier than Shiva, too, and just as hard a skirt to chase. Lucky me, I like a challenge.

You have until lunch tomorrow to decide. While "Time" is irrelevant, you have yourself a while to think it over, and talk amongst yourselves. As for me, well, you know where to find me, when you're ready.


	10. Chapter 10 New Heaven and New Earth

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

We're gathered around a screen in a house in Phantom Village. The screen is currently running the news for Heaven. There is to be a major announcement today. Gilgamesh's spies in The Sacred Nebula came today, telling us only this. What this will mean, of course, is any one's guess. I'm fairly certain it won't spell good news for us, whatever the case. These things never do.

Ah, it's beginning. And there's an all-too-familiar face on the screen. One I didn't think I would have seen in Heaven, and certainly not in this position.

"We now turn to the Palace of Lobok, the High Seat of The Sacred Nebula, where it has just been announced that the message of The Elohim is to be delivered by one Galenth Dysley, the newly appointed High Seraph of the Elohim. Let's tune in."

The cameras focus in on the face. That's him. Old, scruffy, and looking ever more unpleasant. It's unusual for an angel to choose to appear old. Gods do it to portray wisdom and might and eternal nature, but angels? No, only this one. And now he's speaking, that smarmy, smug voice of his ringing in the air and rattling the ear.

"My dearly beloved friends and family of the Heavens. It is with great pleasure that I announce to you, today, the beginning of a new and marvelous program given us by The Elohim, The Gods of The Gods. I fear, however, that I must begin by explaining something very grave to all Heaven's host. Heaven has changed. Look around you. Things are wrong. There is crime, and vice, and sin, and imperfection everywhere. This bothers you, it worries you. It makes you sick. It frightens and scares you, and with good reason.

"Hell has mobilized, my beloved brethren. It has begun to permeate the walls of Heaven, and attack us, not by force, but by subterfuge. The demons deep within have been the ones guiding the actions of one Scholar and his associates. Yes, the wanted Cids are double agents. They are angels who serve not Heaven, but Hell. It was, quite likely, them who brought this disaster upon Heaven. They remain, to this very moment, public enemy number one.

"But fear not! For His Supreme Excellency, The King and God of The Gods of The Gods, Cidian Gaius Lufaine, EL CID, has prepared salvation for you all. How? We must eliminate this cancer before it grows and destroys us. We must strike now! We must strike to remove these demons who have long been hiding amongst us! They could be anyone! They could be disguised as your family, and your friends! Your loved ones have long since been cast by these hateful monstrosities into the depths of The Void, from which there is no return. Will you then allow these demons to masquerade, even as your Gods?

"For this reason, starting today, we are pleased to announce project New Heaven. This project will require the inspection of all beings Heavenly. Be they Gods, Angels, or Unborn. The office of Inquisition, under the guidance of High Confessor Zalmour has been opened to those demons who wish to come and confess already of their deeds. High Confessor Zalmour's Inquisitors will inspect all others from henceforth.

"We are aware that some demons will resist. We are certain they will take hostages. They will try to persuade you that they are real, that they ARE your loved ones. Do NOT be taken in! And do not fear! We are pleased to tell you that the Office of Judgement has been created for your protection. Headed by The Lady Cosmos, your safety will be guaranteed by Her specially chosen Judges. We also wish for you this day to meet the Judge Magisters, the Knights in Shining Armor who will protect you from the coming storm. Look to them, oh citizens of Heaven! Look upon them, for they are your saviors!"

The view shifts from Dysley to the grounds below him. The Pearly Gates open and reveal a series of individuals dressed in heavy, shining armor. Dysley's voice confirms one after another Heaven's defenders.

"Snow Villiers, Cidolfas Orlandeau, Lord Braska, Beatrix Alighieri, Irvine Kinneas, Zack Fair, Celes Chere, Cara Mayer Baldesion, Cecil Harvey, Kain Highwind, Basch ffon Rosenburg, Cid Randell, Leon Esla, Ingus Urson, Lionheart Costa, and, of course . . ."

Oh Gods, they must be joking. I've seen The Cosmos Report, and I already found it sick what was done there, but to do this. To do this! How very . . . ballsy of Cosmos. And how very, truly messed up this is. There he is, though; dressed in red armor, shining shield, horned helmet, long, unkempt hair. He's like a God, yet he is Heaven's biggest slave. The man I most pity in all of Heaven.

"Sol, The Warrior of Light."

Cuore slaps Benjamin in surprise. Benjamin shouts in vexation, and Arazlam, who'd been drinking some of that strange black drink Gilgamesh was chugging, suddenly chokes, then sprays out the stuff. It can't be, but it is. As Her flagship move, Cosmos has taken her favorite toy out and will play with it. The poor thing. He has no idea . . .

I rise to my feet. I look around me. I can feel it. Heat in my body. Rising. My blood is rushing, so, so quickly. Anger. So much anger. I need a target. Need something to break. Need to scream. Need to run. I know the man on the screen. This Warrior of Light. He was . . .

"I'll do it. I'll help Gilgamesh bust into the Prison at Sanity's Edge. I don't care if we get Gogo out or not. I don't care what the end result really is. I just want to set some things on fire and cause some serious damage right now. This!" I cry, pointing to the screen, "This is an abomination. Whatever it takes to rip Cosmos apart, limb from limb, and cause Heaven to come crashing down around The Gods, I'll do it. But THIS! This I will not stand for any longer."

Coure rises, ever graceful, despite her emotions. "Well then, I'm in. You know me. I just like to see things go BOOM, hahaha." Graceful, yes. Sane? Never.

Arazlam gets to his feet. "I suppose it's unanimous, then. If we're going to break into this prison, we're going to be the biggest enemies of Heaven in all of Eternity."

"Aren't we already? We're planning on a revolution against The Gods and exposing the biggest sins of all time. If The Scholar had succeeded, he would have had Cosmos thrust into The Void. If we succeed, The God of The Gods of The Gods will have to send himself to The Void. We're going to catch them in their own web of lies."

"Awright!" Benjamin cries, "Finally some action! Man! I thought we'd NEVER get to do a fight scene! Seriously. If I had to sit around forever and see Gilgamesh try and get in your skirt for one more chapter, I'd have to gag!"

"Bennie, honey?" Cuore says, slithering over to him, her arms suddenly around his neck, a demon's grin on her lips. One of her hands slides down Benjamin's body, stroking his side, backside, and thigh, "SHUT UP. Nobody knows what you're talking about. Chapters? This isn't some poorly written story, it's real life, love." Suddenly, the hand which had been distracting Benjamin turns into a fist, and finds its way in between his ribs. Benjamin groans in pain, then slumps to the floor.

"Gods," Arazlam remarks, "With women like you on our side, who needs enemies? You're worse for Benjamin than those Judges will ever be."

"Never mind that," Cuore snaps, "Let's get this show on the road. Pretty boy here will pull himself together eventually. Isn't there somebody we need to see?"

"Not sure about that," Someone says behind us, "But I see some _body_ I'd like to see more of."

I groan in frustration. Only one person could possibly make so stupid a statement. I turn around and yep, there he is. Gilgamesh. Dressed again in his suit with his eyes blindfolded. How he "sees" anything with that ribbon around his head is beyond me. But I can't let his raging hormones throw me off balance. There are more important things to talk about here.

"We want in." I say.

"Kitten, I've wanted in you since the time I first laid eyes on you. And speaking of things getting laid . . ."

"No, I mean we're willing to help you attack The Prison."

"Well that's just fine. One little problem, though."

"And that is?"

Gilgamesh enters the room, walking past us, he flops down on one of the cushions near where Benjamin is still huffing in pain. He props his feet up on Benjamin's back, causing Benjamin to fall to the floor completely.

"We need Benjamin in fighting shape. At the most important moment, he has to use The Shrug of Destiny. He can't do that if he's bleeding from every pore, now, can he?"

"Right, so no more injuring the secret weapon, huh?"

"I still object to this," Cuore says, "It's just a shrug."

"And you're just a Maenad. See how slippery the slope is?"

"Not really, Maenad are-"

"Yeah, pretty stupid and useless, just like politicians."

"What! How dare you compare me to-"

"A cheap and easy way to clean out a toilet bowl? Hey, don't get upset at me for being psychic."

"You're not psychic! You're just an as-"

"Seen on TV, right? I slice, dice, and julien fry. _IF_ you know what I mean."

"Nobody knows what you mean! Nobody EVER knows what you mean! You're as stupid as-"

"You are useful? Which I guess means I'm not that dense, since you aren't that helpful."

"WHY YOU-"

"Sexy beast? Thanks, but I'm taken. Isn't that right, Ms. Farron?"

"Don't drag me into this!"

"I'm going to-"

"Hey, now. Fighting will get you nowhere. If you insist, there's plenty of me to go around. Look, I can be your man on even days, and hers on odd numbered days. And MAN but those days will be for doing all the most _odd_ things, if you're into that."

"How can you even be so-"

"Sexually omnipotent? Nobody knows, Kitten. Just comes with the territory. That and the arms."

"I QUIT!" Cuore roars, storming out of the room. Gilgamesh gets to his feet, pushing Benjamin even more firmly into the floor.

After Cuore has left, Gilgamesh smirks at Arazlam and I and says, "Well then. You'd best be getting ready. We'll leave before day's end. There's a lot to do along the way."


	11. Chapter 11 Talking to Myself

**The Remnant of Cid Previa, The Scholar, Within Cosmos.**

Gods what is happening? She suspects, of course she does. My child has some idea of what I am sending into the world, and of what I am planning. She sees to some extent what my plan is. But she cannot know. She cannot be told. The experiment will fail if the subject KNOWS what she being tested on. No, all must go exactly as I have planned. This minor set-back will not cause my loss of victory. Nevertheless, it must be spoken of. And so I shall.

_Do you still oppose my will, o' foolish Remnant? You are naught but a bubble, floating on my turbulent sea. I am the one who commands all things. I am in control of all. My plans and machinations will be the ones to come into fruition, and not yours. Success and victory will be mine in the end, not yours!_

Who is the master, and who is the slave? Who is the submissive, and who is the dominant? This war of intellects. Whatever you do, I have already prepared for it. Every move you make, every breath you take, I am there, and I am watching you. Your plan to make us one plays just as well for me, as it does for you.

_Are you so sure? My hounds are unleashed upon Heaven, my inquisitors will send droves to Hell. Suffering as you have never seen I have unleashed upon the Eternities, and all will go the way that I orchestrate. My child plays perfectly the part I have given her, as do all around her. Even you and I are doing precisely what I have prepared._

Though little of me remains, in me your very voice still incites anger untold. My vengeance will be exacted. Think ye that ye have agents, even in the camp? Think ye this clever ploy will succeed? Or that your brute force will cause all things to bend and succumb to thy will? I have my arms as well, and with them I will crush thine. All their lives are chips upon the table, and cards in our hands. Yet you must know: Mine is a face which reveals nothing. I am not bound by the laws which bind you.

_Or is it I who am not bound by the laws which once guided you? I am infinite. I am amazing and wondrous. All power is given me. Would you gamble against me? Know that I am committed to this until Death claim even The Undying. Would you play to win? Know that I have already won in virtue of the fact that I, Deity, cannot lose. Behold the stage that you and I have set, and tell me who is the one in command?_

I hold Omega in my hand, and the Swordsman and Historian as well. Before the end Omega's scattered chips will find themselves and bind themselves anew. Of this I am certain. I am that which is good, and so I am justified in this move. I may yet win more than this. I cannot say. I know this, however: what you have shown her in vision will win her to me, most entirely. Then, at journey's end, she will choose me. She will have no choice. Her docket is clear, and it is perfect. I have been at this for eons. She will fight as I have forseen.

_But I hold the Fool, and with him I shall take the Witch as well. The Crystal World is mine already. All Heaven's heart I hold in my hands. And undoubtedly, the Crown of Life will be mine as well. What she has seen in vision changes change nothing. I have but shown her a fraction of the truth. Should she know it all, she will come to me. I hold the Paladin and Dragoon. Soon, so very soon, all The Mighty will bow before me. The Fourteenth Cycle is soon beginning._

You're mad! How can you run this purge of Heaven and war against Chaos as well! You'll never succeed at this! And how will you organize your soldiers? The Scholar's friends will never again come to your aid!

_What need have I of them? Why ever should I involve them in this? I have no need for Cid Pollendina, Cid Kramer, Al Cid Margrace, and Cid Marquez. No, because I have a far more useful resource at my . . . DISPOSAL . . . you, I believe?_

You think I will bend to your will! How long have I struggled to maintain myself against thee? Your search to root me out of your entire self has been long and harrowing. I have seen many, many fall here within and be destroyed, yet here I am. I have remained conscious during all this madness. And now I ask, do you think, after all I have endured, all I have suffered at your hands, I will suddenly be made one more of your toys?

_Do you think you have a choice? Do you honestly believe I will leave so important an aspect up to a mere battle of wits and wills? Oh, no, no. Speak ye of suffering? Say ye that ye have faced much at my hands? And how many lives have ye taken! How many worlds have ye ended? How many time lines and possibilities have ye aborted with your works? Wherein is the difference between you and I? Am I the murderer and monster, or are you?_

Whose plan is it to manipulate all of Heaven and reshape it in my image. Not mine, that much I can say.

_Can you? Whose plan is it? Who is saying what here, and now? Are we one, or are we two? Haven't I integrated you? Yet still ye resist me, and I can't say why. Give yourself to me. Surrender yourself to my love. Be one with me and make sweet our music. Bend to my will, as the reeds bend to the winds' loving caress. Be mine, and I, thine._

I will never give myself to ye! Behold all I have wrought. See the works of my hands! I will stand against ye, and against this Final Dissidia! I shall put an end to your Never Ending War! She will do as I have willed, and though all Heavens' Mighty should fall into your hands, She will not. She is free, unfettered, and not blinded by this game of The Gods. Hers will be the final choice.

_I'm quite aware, and I will, nevertheless, win. Because I have never once wanted simply to control her. If it were that, I would never have chosen her. I know she will choose of her own will. And I will craft all things till she either bends in reverence before my will, as will all creation, or I will break her into tiny pieces, and what little ego she has will, in sheer rage, choose exactly that which I have always planned. No matter what she chooses, it will ultimately play to my end. Don't you see? She must choose either you or I._

Ah, is that your game? Then she will choose me. At some point your plot will be exposed to her, even as that vision almost exposed mine to her. And when that moment arrives, she will revolt against you, and she will choose me, which, even now, she desires. She thinks of it constantly, of the favor she owes to her old friend. This alone will lead her to the final sequence in my plans.

_But you have over-looked one tiny problem. She will choose either you or I. But who are you, and who am I? We are Cid Previa and Sarah Cornelia, The Scholar and The Lady, Lonka and Cosmos, Draco and Maria. But now you must be asked: who are you? And who am I? Are you Cid Previa? Or are you Sarah Cornelia?_

That's mad! I'm . . . I'm me, aren't I?

_Thou sayest._


	12. Chapter 12 Prison Break

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

Well, this is it, I guess. In ten minutes time we'll be there. The Prison at Sanity's Edge. I've heard of it before. It's the maximum security holding pen for all the rejects from Heaven and Hell. For beings too evil and twisted and vicious to possibly be allowed to roam free. In their last Dissidia, Chaos broke into this place and unleashed the terrors he would use in his bid at rewriting reality. He failed, and was thrust back to Hell, whilst his followers were taken and bound here. This is not the happiest place to be. To maintain their inmates bound, the prison is kept on that fine line between madness and sanity. It is a place which literally defies itself, so that it is impossible to mount an escape, since the way in and the way out are constantly hovering between the possible and impossible.

There are no words to describe the appearance of this place. It would be meaningless to try. Even as I look upon it, I find myself slowly filling with doubts unexpected. I push them down and slide my fingers along the hilt of Omega. It is a constant. Destruction, it is that upon which I can rely. All things end. Even Eternity must have one. That is Omega's point. And that is the goal for which I labor. Some may say it's nihilistic. Some may say it's sadistic, cruel, ruthless, or without point. Me? I don't give a damn. If things will go on forever this way, it'd be better for things to simply NOT go on.

We arrive outside the gates on the eastern wall. Cuore, Benjamin, and Arazlam are somewhere along the southern wall. Well, it WAS to the south, and we WERE to the east. Who can say now? This bloody place keeps changing ever minute. Did I mention the walls we're about to scale are bleeding? And wheezing? And possibly made from flesh?

"Well, kitten," says Gilgamesh, "ladies first."

"Nice one," I reply, "But I've met Zidane before, too. You first, lover-boy."

"You wound me to the core," he answers, his smug attitude almost crushing me.

"It won't just be my words doing that, if you don't go over the wall first."

"As you wish, kitten."

Gilgamesh knocks on the wall for a moment, and suddenly the stones making it turn to stairs. They are, of course, stairs made from otters, but I suppose it's better than nothing. Just have to keep telling myself that it isn't real, no matter how much the steps squish beneath our feet, and how the otters scream and cry in pain, and how I could almost swear I can see them crying in fear as we come. Just have to remind myself that this is Heaven, and that we're all already dead here. There is no more death, or suffering, or pain. That's what we bought into, right?

Oh, Gods, what if this IS real? No, no. This is why it's Sanity's Edge. If I already start to worry, I'll never survive this. We're over the wall now. See? Not so bad. We've avoided most of the difficulties up until now. Now, apparently Gilgamesh already knows where they're keeping Famfrit and Ex-Death, so we'll be out of here in no time. Gods I hope that's true. I just keep following him through the halls as we go, trying not to look at anything, and I can't help but feel my eyes coming to rest on his a- Gods, I've already GONE insane if I'm thinking that.

Gilgamesh peeks around the corner. All's clear. One, two, three, and GO! We round the corner and—where the Hell did they come from! There's a pair of angels standing before us. They part silently and allow a man in a long, red cloak step forward. He has a golden, clawed arm, and jagged, long black hair. He can only be one man, though I can't say I know him too well. Apparently Gilgamesh does, though.

"Well, either my eyes deceive me," He says, oblivious that he's blindfolded, "Or you're Vincent Valentine. What brings you to a place like this?"

"You must be Gilgamesh. And you," Valentine says, his eyes sliding up and down me, "I had not hoped my luck good enough to meet you here." Valentine runs his claw through his hair as his hand fingers the gun at his side. "I have come to give you a message. You are too late."

The angels at his side transform into vampires and burst into what I assume must be laughter. I guess we've sprung some kind of trap? This guy doesn't know who he's up against.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I growl.

"It means your plan has failed. I have command of this place now. You are no longer in Heaven. This territory belongs to Hell now."

"Fitting enough," Gilgamesh says, "But what does that have to do with us?"

"And why is that?"

"I have already freed them. I have set them free before you have."

"And this sets us back how, assuming we're shooting for what you think we're shooting for. We should be happy, shouldn't we?"

"Well, you see, if I understand, you didn't want to let them all out, did you? I did, though . . ."

"Which means what, you freaky little pretty boy?"

Valentine laughs. His laughter reminds me of a man's dying breath. It is horrible, and unsettling. It is no laugh for a mere angel or demon. "Words are so ineffective. I believe action better illustrates." Valentine snaps two clawed fingers, then says, "Isn't that right, friends?"

I duck just in time to avoid losing my head from the swipe of a sword the size of Gilgamesh's torso. After the dust clears, two men appear before us. They are Jecht, and Theodor Harvey. The one is, as per usual, nearly naked, the other wearing the armor the marks him as Golbez, one of the most feared men in all of Heaven. Except that Theodor was supposed to be at rest, having long since renounced his evil ways.

"Cute," Gilgamesh says, "So you two are down to playing slave to the androgynous vampire over there? I thought more of you."

"You know them?" I ask.

"Kitten, who _don't_ I know? You seem to know them, too."

"We've met."

"Touching." Golbez says, interrupting, "But I always found that introductions were a waste of time. So let's skip right to the action." His arm snaps up, and a bolt of lightning flies forth, barely giving us a chance to evade. It seems clear to me that our plan has gone awry.

"Hello, kids. Don't cry now, and we'll make this as quick and painful as possible!" Jecht roars, then flings himself forward, his sword bearing straight on us. I unsheathe Omega and raise it forward. I manage to block the blow, but the sheer force of someone the size of Jecht throwing himself at me is enough to send me flying backwards anyway.

Ignoring the pain, I look up, and find myself face-to-face with Valentine's gun's barrel. I roll just in time to avoid the shot. My heart is racing. I haven't felt this alive in a long time. Nor have I thought I was going to die like this in a very, very long time.

As I jump back to my feet, I find my back touching Gilgamesh's. This is more or less the stance we needed anyway. It's not going to be easy to get out of this. Two vampires, three if you count Valentine, a Lunarian Summoner, and Jecht, who is of The Summoned. Quite the fight we've got lined up here. I just don't understand though, I thought that Valentine had been one of the good people in his world. What's going on here?

A sudden laugh stops us all, and halts my breath. That laugh, it couldn't be!

"Yes," Valentine says, "Yes it is. Didn't I say I'd let them _ALL_ out?"

Atop the walls appears the silhouettes of many, many fiends. All Heaven's rejects, no doubt. Among them I count at least Sephiroth, Kefka Palazzo, and Kuja. To the front steps The Cloud of Darkness and, just behind Her, Ex-Death. Worrisome, to say the least. I'd say the situation has quickly gotten out of hand.

"I believe," Valentine says, that awful laugh escaping from his dried, cracked lips, "that now would be a good time to surrender."


	13. Chapter 13 All Hell Breaks Loose

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING.**

"You've won," I say to Valentine. "Care explaining what the Hell you're up to?"

"Now would be the time for a villainous monologue," Gilgamesh concurs.

"I'm afraid I've got to disappoint," Valentine responds, "The children are hungry, and it's feeding time. Won't you join us for dinner?"

"Have we got a choice?"

"Is there such a thing as choice, in this horror you claim as paradise? I was under the impression that your benign Gods denied you the privilege such things as freedom. Or do you disagree?"

"You seem to have an axe to grind with The Gods. Care to explain?"

"You seem to be determined on having me speak, so as to prolong your lives. I suppose you have someone coming to rescue you? Who is it, Ms. Farron? I'd thought you and Highwind weren't so locked of legs any longer."

"You-!"

"Ah, would you attack? Remember, any moment now and I can call down all this prison on you. Whatever will you do?"

"What DO we do? We don't even know what's going on, outside the fact that you want us down."

"I like that idea," Gilgamesh says, "I want you down on me, too, kitten."

"If we live through this," I respond, "I'm gonna kill you."

"This no longer amuses me," Valentine says, "and frankly, I'm tired of both of you. Neither of you has ever been of service or help on my quest, so it really is time you were written out of my story."

I bring Omega to the level and get ready for the worst. Valentine clicks his tongue in his mouth, and of a sudden, the fiends come crashing down toward us. The next couple of moments are a blur. Valentine turns to walk away, and just as he tries it, I roll backwards, unfortunately, into the arms of Jecht. Strange, since Gilgamesh was supposed to be there.

I look around for him, and I see him suddenly fighting Mateus and a troupe of swordsdemons. Gilgamesh has six arms out, each one quite inexplicably armed. I try to go to him, but I'm suddenly punched in the stomach. No need to ask whose done it, for, before me appears Golbez. I feel something behind me, and I'm not enjoying it.

"Well there, girl," says the gravely voice of Jecht in my ear, "You have one nice little butt. Shame it's about to get torn from the rest of you. Not the way I'd have torn it up, heh heh heh . . ."

"Punching a woman who can't fight back, then groping her? You two are real winners."

"You are far from helpless, little one. And you must excuse Jecht. We don't exactly get conjugal visits here."

"And that's another thing, what the Hell are you two even doing here?"

"Isn't that clear, sweet thing," says Jecht, his arms tightening around mine. Gods, his strength is crushing me! How can his muscles even have this might? "We're the bad guys. No, we're the WORSE guys. We don't fit in Heaven, and to put us free in Hell frightens The Gods too much. So here we are."

"Jecht, I don't think she quite understands what is going on, just yet."

"Take her sword, then. If anybody bleeds from unnatural places, it'll be her. You know, I hope you're into _biting_ girlie, cuz Daddy's gonna make you _scream_ if you take my meaning."

I try to raise my sword in defense, but, for all his bulk, Golbez is surprisingly quick. As my arm rises, he grabs my wrist and breaks it, the bones crushing with an audible snap. Omega falls to the floor, and Golbez' mask presses against my face.

"The 14th Cycle is about to begin. We'll get our hands on The Crystal, and with it, rewrite our fates. And if we have to be the most unholy monsters ever conceived to do it, you can be it'll be our pleasure to do so." He straightens up. "That is all. Do as you must Jecht, but be quick about it. It seems Gilgamesh is putting up quite the fight, though he cannot evade forever."

"Be quick? As if! Gilgamesh can wait. I'm gonna make this last all night long. Slow, painful, and violent. Just. Like. ANIMALS."

"Cute."

"Not nearly as much as your ass."

I try to struggle, to break free, but his grip is iron. His body seems like that of a God's. Something more than the mere essence of Eternity makes up this man. Something more than simple anger drives him onward. He throws me to the ground, and rends my skirt down the side. It doesn't fall off, but I'm surprised he didn't rip it off in a single pull. As he himself put it, things are about to get _animalistic_ here.

"HEYA KIDS!" Someone shouts, "Don't forget to use _PROTECTION!_" On the word "protection," a large, purple tentacle smacks Jecht upside the head, sending him flying off of me. He tries to hold on, grabbing my shirt and ripping a large part of it off as he goes. I get to my feet and stare in amazement at the least likely of saviors.

Ultros, the octopus. And behind him, all of Gilgamesh's Mini-Bosses.

"Hello sweet-cakes!" He says, beaming at me. "If anybody rapes you, it'll be me-hee-hee!"

"Right, I'll be sure to kill you when I'm done here." Now I'm seriously pissed. I've had it with these freaks and their little games. I charge head-long into the confusion, behind me the Mini-Bosses, dedicated to saving their hero. The ensuing madness is one worth staring at. Heads are rolling, bodies flying, gravity shifting, objects reshaping, air bending. It's enough to make one sick. But there's no time to stop in the middle and gawk. Have to keep moving.

As I raise my sword to split someone's skull from behind, I feel an arm on my shoulder. A sudden force pulls me backward, and throws me against the wall. The wind is knocked out of me, and I can't breathe. Then pressure is applied to my throat, and I start to choke. So now my wrist is broken, and who knows about my spine.

"I figured Jecht wouldn't do it," Golbez says, ramming me further into the wall. "He's all talk. Probably just wanted to frighten you."

"So now you will, huh?"

"You really don't get it, do you? You think this is as easy as good and evil. You don't see what is so plain around you."

"Keep squeezing my throat, and I won't see anything."

"Let's hope. You cannot POSSIBLY comprehend why we fight. Why men like me associate with demons like them. Look around you, little one. All Eternity is about to burst into a war for control and power. All creation is about to embark upon the most violent of its chapters. The 14th Cycle will begin soon, don't you see? We have already been chosen."

"What?"

"You, me, Jecht, all of us. The 14th war is about to begin. Would you like to fight on behalf of Cosmos? No, no more than I wish to serve Chaos. And yet here I am, siding with him, to be free of this, once and for all."

"Losing . . . me . . . here . . ."

"We are here, today, with Chaos, for our own reasons. I'm tired, little one, do you understand me? TIRED. I am weary, and the strength of my spirit leaves me."

"Don't . . . agree . . . there . . ."

"It has become tedious and exhausting, this prolonged experience we call 'Eternity.' I am subject to the demons in my heart. In the last war I aided Cosmos, believing that I could end this madness. She lied. There can be no end to the Dissidia."

"Don't . . . understand . . ."

"Still you cannot comprehend? Let me spell it out for you, then, little one. **I am nobody's slave.** I am free. Utterly free. I do not serve Chaos for any reason except than my own, and my own is this: I want to have everything that I was denied by The Gods in Life, and in the After-Life. I will strike out for the Crystals to have the power to make the world out the way I want it to be, and to give me the Life and Death that I want to have!"

"Where . . . is . . . Chaos?"

"Don't you know? Can't you see Him? He is here with us, today. He is the one who freed so many this day."

"V-"

"Yes," Golbez says, loosening his grip slightly, as he sees my realization, "the one and the same."

"Valentine."

The sound of Golbez' laughter fills my ears as I turn my gaze beyond him. There is Gilgamesh, arms blazing in the madness that engulfs us. His Mini-Bosses are caught up in the fray, but they are hopelessly out-classed. Kefka, Kuja, Sephiroth, Ultimecia, Ex-Death, Famfrit. The darkness is strong here, and its rage is more than we could hope to ever defeat. And there, beyond the fighting, stands one man, clad in red, long raven hair descending, gazing out at it all.

Vincent Valentine.

Chaos.


	14. Chapter 14 Chaos vs    ?

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING.**

"So," Golbez says, "At last you understand. At last you have come to see what has, for so very long, been obvious. We have joined Chaos this last time to make sure that this IS the last time. And now, as you can feel on the air, He will speak."

Valentine raises his hand, and the fighting ceases at once. The fiends back away from the mini-bosses, and all eyes turn to him. He runs the golden claw through his raven hair and smiles softly. That rasping laugh escapes his lips, colored blue, floating on that face, tinted like a rotted squash.

He strides into the midst of all gathered, and then speaks, "My dear mini-bosses. What a pleasure it is that you could join us today. I have heard the word, of course. Today we look upon a "New Heaven". Most of you, of course, don't belong in it. And you've all spent eternity evading Hell. Friends!" He cries, gesturing toward the fiends, "For I afford myself that luxury at this juncture! Many here scheme, even now, to stab me in the back as I plan more than a New Heaven! I plan a New Beginning! A RIGHT Beginning! I plan for all to be as it should!"

He cocks his head to the side a bit, as though in offense, and his voice becomes sickeningly sweet, "And yet, even now you all plot against me. Let me show you, then, WHY you all obey ME!" The sides of Vincent Valentine split, and his form is quite suddenly torn asunder. From within emerges the giant, demonic form of that being who all Heaven fears single-mindedly. Chaos, public enemy number 1.

**HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN OUR PURPOSE? IT IS NOT TO FIGHT SUCH PUNY CREATURES AS THESE. IT IS TO CRUSH THEM!**

Chaos raises a clawed fist to the sky, and all the Prison lurches as He does so. This place is madness, and He is its embodiment. The walls pulse and hum in accordance to His own heartbeat. Energy spirals from all directions to His hands, and His voice rings out in our heads.

**FOOLS! I HAVE NO TIME FOR FLASHY SPELLS AND GRAND SPEECHES. I WISH ONLY YOUR DEATHS! ETERNAL, COLD, AND WRETCHED! EVEN AS IS THE DEATH WHICH I HAVE BEEN GIVEN FOR ALL ETERNITY!**

Chaos unleashes his attack. It's too fast to see. All I can hope for is that the death it brings is as quick as the attack itself. And yet I linger, and do not die. I open my eyes and, for the second time, find myself amazed. I had not expected to see this.

Chaos' hand is firmly gripped between Cuore's. His other three are around her body, as if to crush her, but the fact remains that she is clutching His claw in such a way that He cannot destroy us. And, typical of Cuore, she's finding it all a great deal of fun.

"I liked you better as Garland," she says.

Chaos moves to crush her, but as He does so, another voice calls out in the midst of everything. One which makes me groan in frustration more than anything else.

"Wait!" Shouts Benjamin, "Don't move!"

**WHY NOT?** Chaos calls, audibly sighing.

"Because if you do, I'll unleash the most devastatingly powerful attack of all!"

"Oh no!" Gilgamesh says, "He's gonna do it!"

"No! Not HERE!" adds Ultros, "We're all gonna die!"

"He's crazy!" Leblanc wails, "I'm too beautiful to suffer so strange and cruel a fate!"

"Yes!" Benjamin roars, "YES! I will unleash my TRUE POWAH!"

**YOU MUST ALL BE JOKING. THE PRISON HAS DRIVEN YOU MAD. LET ME END YOUR SUFFERING.** Chaos removes one of his hands from around Cuore to fire at Benjamin.

"You've sealed your fate!" Benjamin shouts, "Now it looks like . . . I'm gonna . . . have to . . . **SHRUG!**" Benjamin splays out his arms, then, with great concentration and utmost confusion and a tad of apathy, he raises his shoulders to the level of his chin. This done, a great shockwave flares out from him in a radius of indeterminate, but great, length. There emanates from within him Technicolor lights. His body seems to shake. The entire prison rumbles with him, and then there is a large flash. After the flash ends, well . . . nothing.

**PATHETIC.** Chaos snorts. **YOU HAVE MORE THAN SIMPLY FAILED. IN FACT, I VENTURE TO CLAIM THAT FAILURE HAS YOU'D.**

"Venture again!" Benjamin says, pointing beyond Chaos.

Beyond Chaos we see the wall. It is cracking, and then, without warning, it crumbles. Behind Benjamin the same thing happens. He has done the impossible, and pierced a hole from Heaven to The Void. This isn't good.

"Now we'll combine The Void with the strength we already have in Omega and take you down!"

**FOOL! ARE YOU SO DAFT? OMEGA **_**IS**_** THE VOID! BOTH ARE DESTRUCTION! BOTH ARE THE ENDING TO ALL THINGS! EVEN CHAOS ENDS THEREIN! YOU HAVE BROUGHT A FATE WORSE THAN ANY I WOULD EVER DARE!**

"Then you'd better run, huh?"

**I WILL LEAVE HERE. BUT NOT BEFORE I SEE YOU DEAD. YOU ARE THE FOOL, NOT I. I KNOW BETTER THAN TO LET "HEROES" RUN FREE DURING MY PLANS.**

_IT IS TOO LATE TO RUN._ Comes a voice which is felt within my chest. _FOR NOW I AM FREE, AND I HAVE NO MERCY LEFT WITHIN ME._

At the Voidside hole there is seen a figure. One wrapped in madness and cloaked in blasphemy. A being who at once is not, and at the same time is. I can only think of one person this might be . . .

_YES. I AM . . . GOGO!_

Gogo rushes forth from the endless nothing and strikes Chaos. The blow sends the Master of Bedlam flying backwards. Gogo, however, does not accept this as victory, and proceeds to fly again into Chaos, sending his/her knee through Chaos' ribs, as his/her elbows come down on His spine. The sound of bones crunching fills the air, and for a moment, it seems that Chaos is going to meet his end at the hands of the Master of Mimicry.

But then Chaos grabs hold of Gogo with His hands, and fires repeatedly into Gogo's face. Then, with electrifying speed, He whips round His tail and wraps it about Gogo. He slams Gogo into the ground, then fires upon him/her again and again and again. Chaos stops and laughs over His victory, only to have Gogo's foot collide with His nose.

The battle moves from there to a speed impossible to track. It is fierce, and it certainly is breaking The Prison apart, piece by piece. I can't waste this opportunity, I mustn't! So I rush to where Gilgamesh is, taking advantage of the general confusion. When I reach him, I put a hand on his shoulder and say, "Hey! We need to LEAVE. Gogo's alive. Beyond that, we can't DO much here."

"But Gogo's the entire point we CAME here!"

"Right, and now Gogo's free. If s/he is your friend, then s/he will come to us. For now, let's get out of here before things get worse!"

"Fair enough. Fascinating as this is, we're in over our heads."

"Glad you see things my way."

"Now if only you'd let me see you my way."

"Just get the others. Look, Chaos even dropped Cuore in the fighting."

"Right, well, where do we meet?"

"Benjamin punched a hole leading into Heaven. Let's meet on the other side of it."

"Gotcha. See you out front then, kitten."

Gilgamesh takes off to alert The Mini-Bosses and the others. I have to leave it up to him. I'm in no condition to fight at the moment. Damn, much as I hate to say this, I'm amazed at his ability to take LESS damage than I did while fighting fiends in greater quantity.

I make a break for the crack, avoiding Chaos and Gogo as they clash. I'm almost out when I run into two people I hadn't expected to meet up with. The same two, it happens, we came here to find in the first place. Ex-Death and The Cloud of Darkness.

"We are pleased to see you here, Ms. Farron," says The Cloud.

"Indeed. We have seen it all."

"Yesssssss. You will bring about our pleasure."

"We have stared into the darkness, into The Void, and do you know what we saw there?"

"No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway."

"You," Ex-Death says, "We saw . . . only you."

"What? That's . . . !"

"Did it not hear Chaosssss? Omega isss the Void. And who holdsss Omega?"

"I do, but-"

"Exactly. You, worm of worms, are The One. You are our hope."

"What? What hope?"

"You are all hope," The Cloud slithers toward me, Her tentacles probing me unpleasantly. "You are everyone'sss hope. You will bring about the ending of all thingsss . . . you will disssapoint sssso many . . ."

"But since all hopes lie on you, others will be so very, very pleased."

"The Hell are you talking about?"

"It doesss not yet ssssee . . ."

"We cannot waste time. You must go now."

"What? You're letting me pass?"

"Of course. You are going to help us. You will be what sends all back into Nothing."

"Great, because I SO wanted to hear that . . ."

And with that, they fade away. They don't exactly disappear. They simply, no longer aren't there. I'm sick inside thinking about what these two have said, but I don't stop to think about it. I haven't been doing that very much anymore. I just keep pushing. If I stop, there'll be too much to bear. So I just don't think about it. I just push, push, push onward. No time to think about it.

Eventually, Gilgamesh and the others arrive. When they do, we run from that place. The battle between Gogo and Chaos is such that even The Fiends have fled the scene, leaving the two to destroy what was once an impregnable fortress.

Heaven is changing, and I cannot say that I know if it's for the better or not.


	15. Chapter 15 The Most Important Moment

**TIME: ONE WEEK BEFORE THE DAY OF CID**

** LOCATION: WITHOUT THE PALACE OF ORDER**

** OCCASION: A SCENE ALL TOO FAMILIAR**

There are five of them, heading towards the front steps. They are what you might call "The Elite" of Heaven's Would-Be-Gods. They are Angels without a Heaven. They're harps and halos sold to the highest bidder. Known throughout Eternity as the shrewdest minds this side of omniscience. They are Cids. The five most feared Cids in Heaven. They are The Scholar and his Quorum. They are The Scholar, The Chronicler, The Messenger, The Wanderer, and The Engineer. And they advance in column.

Their purpose today? They will minister for The Lady Cosmos. The nature of the ministry? They will prepare for her a selection of champions from previous battles in Time and previous Dissidiae to do conflict with Chaos. A routine process, and it calls a bit of attention that Cosmos has called them in this time. Her previous planners' whereabouts remain . . . unknown. And so She has summoned The Cids to perform this labor for Her.

At least, publicly, this is the purpose of these Cids. The truth is they have been planning this for a very, very long time. The intent? To expose the truth about Cosmos' and Chaos' repetitive Dissidiae to all of Heaven, and put an end to it, once and for all. The motive? Each of these men has been touched by The Lady in Life, and, in Death they have come to find that said "touch" had effects of eternal nature. Some of which they consider more than merely . . . _displeasing_.

As they walk forward, The Scholar muses to himself. He enjoys the sensation of walking. It is some sort of physical poetry. It is something that reminds him that, though dead, he is still very much alive. It is an echo of life. A reminder of how things ought to truly be.

As they cross the grand white plaza toward the steps of the palace, The Scholar stops, and beside him stop the others. He has suddenly become aware of a noise. Of a sound which is strange to say the least. One which is not fitting of this otherwise saccharine local.

The voice touches the frigid, glacial heart of The Scholar in a way that no sound has done in millennia. It is the voice of someone crying. A woman. It is a musical sound. Its sorrow is beautiful. It is harsh, and painful. It is wretched and terrible. It is the noise of someone in pain, in a realm where pain cannot exist. Yes . . . pain and sorrow . . . these noises are what evoke the feeling of The Scholar's cruel and mechanical heart. Perhaps because ages uncounted of exposure to elysian peace has numbed him to happiness, and he is, in some sick and twisted way, refreshed by this sound of suffering.

Or perhaps because something within him relates, because he feels again sympathy. The sound invites him to feel for someone else. Something he has so very, very, rarely done in the last hundred thousand years. Whatever the case, the voice invites attention, and he cannot ignore it.

The Scholar asks his company to continue ahead, and away him at the Gateway to Order. When they have left, he begins his search for the source of this musical torment which lodges itself within him, and does not permit him any escape.

The source of sorrow is found. It is a woman, an angel, manifesting as a young, twenty something with long, red-gold hair. She is clothed in normal civilian clothing. Nothing to indicate origin, nor fealty. She is seated on one of the many benches in the plaza. As she cries, the tears trace crystalline trails down her face, and as he follows those trails to their genesis, he finds her eyes to be the most beautiful shade of blue of all. It is a blue like that of the ocean, sparkling in the summer sun.

Does The Scholar know this girl? Have they ever met? It cannot be said. For what happens in Eternity is already beyond the flow of Time, and what happens beyond Eternity? Who can ever know?

The Scholar seats himself beside her. He gathers his courage, knowing that he was never good at this sort of thing. Eventually, his muster raised, he speaks.

"What troubles you, child?" He asks, trying to recall paternity, and the feelings which came with it. Trying to remember emotions long since dead within him. He is, therefore, not prepared for what comes next.

The woman throws herself on him, her arms about him, her eyes buried in his chest. She sobs all the harder, and those sobs, guttural, painful, distant, touch every last fiber within his dead, dried, and frozen heart. Amidst the sorrow he hears her say, "She made me fight. She took my mother, and my father, and forced me to fight for her. My life was decided before I was ever even born." Her sorrow seems all the harder as she says, "He didn't love me. He never loved me. No man has ever really loved me."

"I am sorry," The Scholar answers her. He lays his arms around her, returning the embrace, and trying to comfort her. To stop that heart-wrenching cry which emanates from her, and resonates within him. His fascination at her sorrow has become more a pity, and he feels . . . compelled to make it stop.

"Why?" She moans, "Why can't anyone stop her? Why couldn't you make her stop?"

This moment is all too familiar to The Scholar. He feels as though he has seen it somewhere, somehow. He knows this girl. They made a promise, one to another. Somewhere, long ago. If only he could recall . . .

"I am sorry," The Scholar repeats. He rests his own face on her back. He knows her. But he cannot remember. It is all so very, very vague . . . and he cannot shake the feeling that he has failed this woman. Has failed her in a way that no other man has ever failed a woman in all of Heaven. He feels a weight suddenly within his pocket. Something he has brought for her. He can't recall who she is, or when they've met, or how long they've known each other, but he has brought her a gift for today. He has brought her something, despite not being able to know that she would be here today.

He removes from his pocket a small crystal, the type he normally uses for recording his ministries. The basic, simple type for storing and transmitting data. He places it into her hand, still embracing her.

She asks, face yet in his chest, "What is this?"

He answers, lips near to her ear, "Hope. It goes from one person to the next, filling each with as much as they will allow themselves to hold. That is how it works. You knew that once."

"But things have changed."

"And they always will. Take care of it for me. Share it with as many as you can. Let us make this our own Dissidia, our own Endless Cycle; hope begetting hope."

"I will," she says, "Please, don't go yet. I've waited so long to see you again."

"I must. It is time now."

**WITHIN COSMOS, CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE LADY AND WHAT REMAINS OF THE SCHOLAR:**

Why have you shown me this? As much as it hurts me, it will not change me from my course. It will not undo me in my path. You cannot hope to overcome me by simply making me suffer. After all, you have made me suffer much, much more than this.

_You suffer to see this? No, but rather, I suffer to see it. I show it to you to show my motivations. All that you and your ilk have ever done has been the cause of suffering in a place where I would never have let suffering occur._

Yet it is your plan which will destroy all things in the most dreadful, painful, and abominable way conceivable. Why play you still the part of saint, when all you do leads only to the suffering of all Eternity?

_Have you not watched the scene I have showed you? That is where all of this began. That is the most important moment ever. What transpired there, in that plaza, that was not my making, nor was it yours, though both have played our parts in it. There are a few things I must know about that moment._

Like what? Are you not an all-knowing deity? Are you not mightier than the Gods? And further, what need have you to ask these things of me?

_I permit your existence for these purposes alone. When I know all I can from you, I will consume you. Many have entered within, and have not survived this long. Do not think all this comes from some inner strength of your own. Now, you will answer my questions._

Then ask, if you must. See if you can discern truth, even as you continue to blind yourself from it.

_Who is that woman in this memory of ours?_

She is Codename: Lightning. The one we have been observing all this time.

_But what is her name? She was not yet Codename: Lightning at this moment. That much I recall._

She is Ms. Farron. Even the demons and the monsters who serve Chaos know that.

_Do not mock me! I know she is one of the Farrons, but I can't remember WHICH._

Much like I can't recall which of the two of us we are, only you? I propose a trade then, oh dominant one. You tell me which of the two of us I am, and I will tell you which of the two of them she is.

_What makes you think this is that important to me?_

Isn't it?

_Fair enough. I have done all of this for her, after all._

Don't mock me! I am doing this for her. Your motives are all evil, are all twisted and mad! I am the one who seeks all for her!

_Liar. Yours have always been the second intentions. I am the one who wants her well-being. So what if it ultimately benefits me as well? Am I not entitled to be happy along with the one I labor to serve?_

Then let me ask you this: In this memory of ours, how does The Scholar have prepared that crystal? How does he have the entire catalyst for the plans of all? That one crystal is the spark which has ignited the flames of every major player in this game, you know.

_I do not need to answer that, nor need I your reminders. The Cloud of Darkness and Ex-Death have alerted her to far, far too much. That much plays into my plan, does it play into yours?_

I have no plan, other than the hope that she brings you down, and all you stand for.

_We shall see about that._


	16. Chapter 16 Farewell, My Home

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

We arrived some time ago at The Phantom Village and here we were supposed to wait. We didn't get much of a chance to rest, though, as we soon have word come from the perimeter that someone is approaching, and they're bringing friends. Three, by count, but we all have a really bad feeling about it.

After seeing a white mage, I meet up with Gilgamesh atop the city wall. Everyone else is inside, resting. There's a detail of mini-bosses hidden around us for protection. The three approaching unknowns will be coming into view any moment now. Not sure what we should do. We don't even know if it's Gogo, Fiends, Judges, or some as yet unknown party. Whatever it is, it's strange. None of us can shake the feeling that something very, very bad is about to happen here.

At last they come into view, and as I see who they are, my stomach falls so hard it touches my feet. It's Gogo, alright, but s/he is bringing some friends along, too. And by friends I mean The Cloud of Darkness and Ex-Death. No more just suspecting. Something is VERY wrong here.

"Hail, Gogo! Master of Mimicry!" Gilgamesh shouts from the wall, "It's been some time."

"Gilgamesh, Walker of the Wheel. You evade even The Gods of The Gods."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, unless you're actually as beautiful a woman under those skirts as this kitten here."

"Sex is not my Our objective." Gogo responds. "We have come only to deliver a message."

"Certainly less humorous," Gilgamesh says to me. He turns his attention back to Gogo and says, "Well then, let's hear it."

"Will you deny Our return to my hometown? This may be the last time We come here."

"These are comments which make me reluctant to do so. And since when do you speak in plural?"

"We ARE plural. This is a part of the message we wish to convey to you. Allow us to come home."

"You are travelling with a Fallen Goddess and an Arch Fiend. Why should I let you in when you're with them?"

"We have an important news for the Catalyst, the Omega Trigger."

"Yes, well, I'm not one for being cryptic. There is no one in my city by that name."

"Why do you treat Us as though We are your enemy now? Were We not once your friend?"

"Are you still my friend, Gogo? I've been running too long to let my guard down, even for you."

"You let your guard down for the Ray of Hope."

"Again, I can't say I know someone by that name."

"Do not mock Us! She stands beside you, Lady Unlucky!"

"I will have you know, Gogo, that she is only unlucky because she's still turned me down. And I would not say my guard is down."

"But it is not up. Please, allow us within. It is urgent we share these words with her."

"Answer me this, then: Do you intend us harm?"

"We are offended by your insinuation."

"And I am irate that you have yet to answer a single question."

"We do not intend you harm."

"Do your friends here intend us harm?"

"These believers do not intend you harm."

"Believers? Now there is a curious word to hear of a Heretic Goddess and a demonspawn."

"Will you admit Us entrance to Our home?"

"The gates are always open to you, Gogo." At these words, Gogo and his/her companions advance on the gates. As they are entering, Gilgamesh grabs me by the shirt and pulls me near to his face. He whispers softly to me, "Be very, very careful in the next ten minutes. Whoever this is, it isn't Gogo as I have known him/her for the last few millennia. Gogo NEVER spoke that much. S/he has said more now than I have heard him/her say the ENTIRE time I've known him/her."

I nod my agreement and we descend to where Gogo, The Darkening Cloud, and Ex-Death are. My body and spirit seem to be trying to separate as I force myself on toward them. When they notice us, they stop for a moment, and then Gogo bows. Seeing him/her bow, the others follow suit. This is . . . bothersome to say the least.

"Welcome back, Gogo. Now, about that message of yours."

"Let Us hear her voice, first. We would hear The Reaper's Song."

"Now see here," I snap, "This whole 'she's our Death-Goddess' thing is not happening, you got that? I'm not doing it, and that's that. So if that's all this is about, you can take your sick cult and get the Hell out of here."

"Ah, your wrath. It is so . . . malleable. Your flesh so perfectly curved and your muscles so well fitted beneath. Your spirit is so . . . conflicted. Your longing for direction, it is what makes you the key to all of this."

"The Hell are you talking about?"

"I have had a revelation," Gogo says. "And I share it with you. I have changed, and that change has moved my motives. Herein is wisdom, child, so listen well." Gogo reaches up and unravels his/her mask slightly; just enough to reveal the lips. They are white as death, waxen and somehow yellow. When the mouth opens, there are no teeth, and the tongue is rotting. The prophecy is one beyond my comprehension.

"Beware, Etrosian Princess, of all which around ye is. Trust not to holiness, for its purity is such that even Justice now is blind. Lean not upon the crutch of power, for it would consume all to reach its own ends. Take heed that ye keep a close eye on your foes at all times, and an even closer one on those who claim to be your friends.

"All have their hands upon you! You are the only pawn on the board, moved ever by the Kings! Be not a pawn, but the hand which MOVES the Kings! Fear The One who promises this to you: that there be no more hands, and all pawns be free and at peace. Such can never be; he seeks only to be the Only Hand.

"Creation is beautiful, is it not, but do not be seduced by His Mistress, for she would make all in her own image. Destruction is glorious! No life can be appreciated or valorized unless there exist a way to take said life away. It is destruction which gives context to all! Would you bend yourself to it? For you are both the destroyer and the destroyed.

"Desperation awaits on the road you travel. He will do everything for Love, but you cannot choose either, for should One succeed, the Other shall fail. Should One fail, the Other succeed. But are not the One and the Other the same?

"Behold the men of great worth and value. Judge all, for ye shall be the judge. Do not mock God, for God will not be mocked. Pity the Highest, for He is brought low by the dragon's chains. Live, child of the one who is Great! LIVE!

"And oh, when ye, Princess of Etro, Death-Child, Void-Spawn, find yourself at the last and final drop, when no more tears can ye weep, know that we weep for you. For even I, in all that I have now become, pity that you have been placed as the Operative of all Futures, as the Chrono Trigger of Eternity.

"Gods have mercy upon ye, for ye shall have no mercy on Them."

"Well," Gilgamesh says, "Your message has been delivered. Now I haven't got time to play host to you three nature lovers. Why don't you go find some park to stroll in, huh?"

"We are offended by your attitude," Gogo responds, "We have done nothing."

"I don't think I made myself clear, you androgynous freaks aren't welcome here."

"Wait," I say, "What you said just now, about me being the pawn used by everyone else. You mean The Gods, right?"

"We believe this prophecy includes them, yes. Inevitably, the choice is yours which manipulation you will succumb to."

"And all of this has to do with Omega, and the plan to take on The High Cid?"

"That is correct. Your thirst for Omega's power, and lust for The High Cid's humiliation are key factors in this equation."

"Then, to avoid this, I just have to do nothing."

"You will not be able to do this."

"And why not?"

"This is Our mission. This is where you have not understood. We have said, 'We will not harm you,' but that is it. We will not harm _you_." At this Gogo's robes seem to burst all over. Tentacles emerge here and there, and where there aren't tentacles, there are arms. Weapons materials before it: swords, staves, guns, bows. This isn't quite right. Who-

**WE ARE GOEGNUO. WITHIN THE VOID WE COPIED NOTHINGNESS, AND OBLIVION COPIED US. WE ARE THE PARADOX WHICH REPRESENTS EVERYTHING AND NOTHING. WE ARE NIRVANA AND WE ARE RAPTURE! TREMBLE, FOR WE TRANSCEND THE GODS!**

Ex-Death and The Cloud also transform, the one into the swarm of horror known as Neo-Ex-Death, the other into an orange form of herself. Goegnuo sends out its tentacles and obliterates a building nearby. Ex-Death and The Cloud take off like bolts from a bow, and where they go things simply cease to exist.

The Phantom Village goes into a panic. Mini-Bosses are running everywhere, some of them are heading toward us.

"RUN!" Gilgamesh shouts at them, "Run unless you want to become part of it!"

**TOO LONG HAS THIS VILLAGE AVOIDED THE VOID. NOW YOU HAVE LET THE VOID WITHIN IT. IT WILL NO LONGER STAND! ALL THINGS MUST RETURN TO THE VOID!**

Gilgamesh draws his blades and steps toward Goegnuo. "Hey! Big, Tall, and Amalgamated! Don't you know? THIS IS MY STORY!" He turns back toward me, and, with a grin, says, "I've always wanted to say that."

As he's turned, Goegnuo knocks him aside with a tentacle, throwing him into one of the houses. The Void-Spawn mocks us, its laughter more felt than heard. **WE WILL DO NO HARM TO THE REAPER. ALL OF THIS DESTRUCTION WE OFFER IN SACRIFICE TO HER!**

Trying to fight here isn't going to help. I have no choice. I have to participate. I have to play the game. Even if I know I'll be waltzing into the plans of Gods know who. I hate it, but we have to run.

I rush over to Gilgamesh and pull him to his feet. He dusts himself off, curses a bit, then nods at me. Seems he gets the idea. So we take off for the other side of the village, running from Goegnuo and its counter-parts. Or are they just parts? Whatever the case, we run.

As we run, Arazlam, Benjamin, and Cuore catch up to us. Seeing me run is enough to tell them we aren't staying and fighting this thing. The other Mini-Bosses are fleeing as well. Nobody wants to leave here, this is their home. But it's all just so sudden that no one thinks of being a hero. And so, using the chaos as our cover, we flee. We run and run and run, leaving the monsters behind us, and not once able to look back.

It's cowardly, and it's weak. And worst of all, it's playing right into enemy hands. But Gogo was right. I could never just stay and do nothing. And my hesitation about my mission, my moment's weakness about the plan, who can say how much it cost? At the very least, its dealt a severe blow to Gilgamesh and his friends.

Strange, then, that he follows us, instead of going to those who called him leader.

But there is, again, no time to think. No dwelling on the past for me. Only moving forward.

Always forward.


	17. Chapter 17 No Rest For The Wicked

**GREAT HERO BENJAMIN!**

Hey, so, is this thing on? I guess so. Yeah. Wait, what wall? What about walls? Meh, I guess I shouldn't be saying most of this anyway. This story hasn't even HAD me in it for a couple of chapters anyway. I'm supposed to be important and there was all kinds of foreshadowing about me, and now this? Man, I don't want to be a cameo when I was originally slated to be one of the main characters! I have huge potential! I could be somebody's love interest! Or an enemy spy! Or die in heroic sacrifice! C'mon, I deserve a chance.

Right, well, anyway, let's keep going, shall we? So we all ran away from Gogo-Enuo, Gognewy or whatever, and had this touching moment where Gilgamesh stopped and watched his hometown get burnt to the ground. Kinda like how my home got never once mentioned over the course of some of my epic, if forgotten, adventures.

After that, we had to blow the joint, cuz well, we'd been drawing all kinds of attention since the attack on The Prison. We made our way to a little town called Traverse, where we'd make camp for the night, then we'd head for Memoria, the gateway to The Crystal World. Sounds pretty ominous, if you ask me.

Traverse is a ghost town. Not that it's populated by the dead, but as the living would call it, since it isn't populated any more. Not sure why, exactly. I just know nobody goes there anymore. They all moved to places like the Garden of Radiance and this town called Twilight. It's actually pretty spooky in Traverse. The whole town seems to be in a state of disarray, of deterioration. It's as though the town itself were dying.

When we got to town, Arazlam said, "This place is blah blah blah poetic and I sound smart!" Yeah, well, it was basically that anyway.

Then Lightning was all, "I have anger issues about you sounding smart and about the general state of everything!"

Then Gilgamesh was all, "Sexual overtones mixed with new age-y musing and pop culture references!"

Then Cuore hit me, cuz she's a meanie! When I asked why, she was all, "Because I am hopelessly in love with your sexy body!"

So I took point and said, "Woman, this is no time for your uncontrollable lust for my awe inspiring physique! Now is the moment we find safe housing against the coming storm!" Yeah, everybody was pretty impressed because I said "physique". Or was it "psychic"?

So we all made our way into the town, and Arazlam did all this crazy observation things, cuz that's what he's good at, and he made some crazy comment about how time cures all wounds, which is stupid, because sometimes time makes things WORSE.

So I said, "Hey look an inn" and then Cuore gave me a pat on the butt, only it was with her foot.

Lightning said, "Wow you're so right. I'm angry you're so right! I'm angry because I am in love with you and because I can't BE you."

Gilgamesh said, "More sexual innuendos about Lightning and inns." I really don't like this guy. He's kinda a ho-bag.

We went into the inn, right? And guess what we found there? Dude, I'm tellin' you, we found these beds which were like, perfect. They were the best place ever for us to sleep! And I was all "hahaha! Girls have to sleep on THAT side," but Gilgamesh was all, "No wait, I don't think there are enough beds. Guess some of us will have to SHARE, IF you know what I mean."

And I waited for Arazlam to back me up that there WERE enough beds (which Gilgamesh would KNOW if he'd take off that ridiculous bandanna covering his eyes.) except he never said anything at all, and Gilgamesh and Lightning went and disappeared somewhere soon after that. Then Cuore threatened to kill me for the 97th time today, and Arazlam had apparently gone and hidden under one of the beds because he just isn't anywhere near so cool or brave as I am.

So I decided that I, and I alone could protect everybody, and I stayed up the whole night keeping watch. At least, until I started to get the sleepies real bad, and I took a little nap so I could keep my very manly might up. But then in the middle of the night I needed to take a tinkle, so I got out of my bed and went and explored the inn to find the bathroom. I went up the stairs, right? I went up them and took a peak around the upper level.

I walked by the room where Lightning and Gilgamesh were being VERY LOUD. I bet they were either fighting or having a very, very violent, if recreational, discussion on some random thing or another in there. I don't know, and I don't care. I don't question many of Lightning's choices, because that isn't what I'm here for. I have my own objective in all of this.

And it isn't anything so simple as me being some side character from some forgotten legend who suddenly wants to make a name for himself! Nor is it because I think that Lightning and Cuore are really pretty! (But I do, hahaha). No, this goes much, much deeper than that.

During the events that lead to The Day of Cid and The Choir of Cids and the 13th Cycle of Cosmos and Chaos, I was engaged in my own struggle. In a harrowing battle against Remedi, Queen of Dreams, to obtain several missing dockets that had to be delivered to Cosmos for Her war.

During that incident I fought Remedi's monster, The Dream Devourer, and this horrific creature was exposed by one Marche Radiuju, before he was consumed by the beast, to be a creation of The Gods. As it happens, The Gods have made all manner of monsters in order to keep Heaven and Time under their sway. I'm with Lightning for that reason, and that alone: to force The High Cid to stop the creation of these Soul Eating monsters.

So, where was I? Oh, yeah. I took a pee, right? Then I decided I'd patrol the roof to see if I couldn't get a better view of the topographical endomorphic . . . stuff. Look, I wanted to see better, okay? So I took a look around the town, and I guess the coast was clear. I tried to avoid staring at the Heart-shaped moon that floated above. It was kinda awkward, I think. Whoever designed that must've been a bit of a hack. The only other thing necessary here was for somebody to use a stupid weapon, like a key or a shield or a telephone.

But then I noticed it. Something moving along the horizon. A tiny white flash at first, but then something far, far worse than I had expected. I counted twenty at the least, and then many, many more. There were columns of people dressed in white robes and armor pouring into the streets of the town. And I was pretty sure that they were surrounding our inn.

The ranks part and a man in a long, white robe steps forward. He looks like a bag of a person, and I'm betting he's not here to ask us to pay for our night in the inn. Luckily, he hasn't spotted me yet. I drop down like I'm gonna do some tactical espionage action, then start sneaking my way back inside.

When I get to their room, I knock on the door and call to Lightning and Gilgamesh. Lightning emerges, wearing a single robe over who knows what. She glares at me then says, "I am angry at you for waking me up."

"Fear not, damsel in distress!" I answer, "With my eagle eyes I have spied the enemy approaching our fortress! But thought they outnumber us, we will not surrender!"

"I'm surprised because I didn't know there were enemies near here, and angry at you because of this, even if it isn't your fault!"

"Innuendo laced with insults and belittling comments about Benjamin's masculinity," responds Gilgamesh, coming from behind with the others following him.

"Death threats to hide my undying, passionate love for you which burns with the brightness of a thousand hot suns," Cuore adds.

"More mind boggling smartness," Arazlam adds, nodding for emphasis.

"Nonsense!" I say, trying to keep them from losing their minds under pressure, "We can totally take 'em!"

"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" Cuore shouts as she knees me in the gut. Then the ouchies take over and I take a very manly power nap on the spot to show just how much the ouchies DID NOT get me. And that's about all I remember.


	18. Chapter 18 Traversing Battle

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

I awake to the sound of Benjamin knocking at my door. I've been sleeping for hours. Ever since I managed to rid myself of Gilgamesh. He blathers some ridiculous statement or another that I'm only half conscious enough to recognize AS a statement. Then Gilgamesh and the others arrive just as Benjamin finally explains we're surrounded. We head to the roof to see what's going on. What we find is unsettling, to say the least.

Before us stands all of the new Judges and Confessors, fanned out and around the inn. When we crouch down to avoid their sight, Gilgamesh hands me my clothes. Damn, he's entirely too prepared for this situation. Still, it's nice that he doesn't insist I fight in a night gown, right?

"The following message is directed to the rebels known as Lightning, Benjamin, Cuore, and Arazlam!" Bellows the voice of one Zalmour, second in command to Galenth Dysley, Supreme Confessor. "We have you surrounded! Step forth, confess your sins, and beg the mercy of The Gods! This is the only course remaining you."

I decide to make use of what little time we have while Zalmour blathers to get dressed. Seems that the others already are. Damn, Gilgamesh. How is it he woke them in time for them to dress, but not me? No time to care. I slip the night gown off, leaving me in underwear alone. Cuore slaps Benjamin as Gilgamesh says, "See? The less you wear, the better looking you are."

"Silence," Arazlam hisses, "It is improper to watch a woman changing her clothes."

"Forgive me, you old prude," Gilgamesh snaps, "But I'm a man of little imagination. The less a woman leaves to mine, the better."

I tune them out as I finish dressing. When I'm done, I catch Zalmour shouting something to the effect of, "And surrender the foul Gilgamesh! Whose crimes are treason to Heaven, collaboration with Hell, abominations too foul to speak, desecration of the image of a Goddess, lewd conduct, lewd conduct with a Goddess, lewd conduct with TWO Goddesses . . ."

"Gods," Arazlam exclaims, looking at Gilgamesh.

"Oh yeah. That was one Hell of a night."

"Well," Benjamin says, interrupting them, "What do we do?"

"I should think it's obvious," Cuore says, "We kill them all."

"Madness!" Arazlam responds, "Some of them are our friends and family! We can't just kill them!"

"Who down there would spare us?"

"I know not, but you cannot just say, 'Kill them' when they are our very flesh and blood!"

"Then what DO you propose?"

"We run."

"Run? I'm sick of running! Now is the time we make our stand!"

"Lightning," says Arazlam, turning to me, "See reason. Down there are friends of yours. Family of yours."

"Like who?" I snap.

"Snow Villiers, Kain Highwind . . ."

"You," I bark at Cuore. "Your thoughts?"

"They're both flaming morons for working with Cosmos and buying into her Purity crap. That alone merits their deaths."

"That's insane!" Arazlam shouts.

"Fine then. Let's run," Cuore says, "Because some threat WE are to the God of the Gods of the Gods if we can't even fight angels."

"Are you suggesting that if we run it's a sign of weakness?" Arazlam demands.

"No, I'm agreeing with you. We should run. Stay alive. It's what's best."

"Fine. Then it is decided. We kill them all."

"WHAT?"

"Lightning," again Arazlam speaks to me, "If we allow these men to follow us to every end of Heaven, we'll expose our plan in its fullness. Much as you might feel for them, they cannot be allowed to interfere. This is for the greater good."

"No, wait," Cuore says, "You can't just switch sides like that! What kind of manipulative son of a Tonberry are you-"

"I AM THINKING OF THE GREATER GOOD," Arazlam roars. "You think only of your own wants. I am trying to keep this mission on course. Why must you be so contrary?"

"Me? No, it's YOU who's being contrary!"

"GUYS!" Benjamin shouts, "We don't have time for this. We need to act, and fast!"

"Right," I say, "There's no way we can take them all down. We need to cut ourselves a path out of here. Which means we're gonna have to fight. Gilgamesh, who'd they have down there?"

"How should eye know? I'm wearing a blindfold, woman!"

"Seriously? You CAN'T see through that thing? All this time you've been hitting on me and you don't even know what I look like?"

"Who said I couldn't see you?"

"You can't see because you wear that damn fashion accessory!"

"You're going there, huh? You want to talk about fashion accessories, 'Little-Miss-Buckles-Gods-Know-Where'?"

"What did you just say?"

"I said, for Gilgamesh, IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!"

With these words, Gilgamesh's extra arms burst from his back, and he unsheathes his blades. Without another word he leaps from the top of the inn toward the gathered host waiting for our heads. What an idiot. No choice now but to follow him. NO idea what he's shouting now. Something about "Jenkins"? Whatever.

I grab Omega and make the jump as well. Behind me come Benjamin and Arazlam, Cuore flying from the roof toward our foe. Gods, but there's a lot of them. I'm not sure how we're going to get out of this. Not sure at all. Hell, when have I EVER been sure of a thing like this? It's easy, really. Pointy edge goes in them, not you.

There's Zalmour, lying in a heap at Gilgamesh's feet. Pretty sure he wasn't expecting that to happen. Not that I care. Zalmour was a prick, and had it coming to him. Hell, who here, DOESN'T have it coming to them?

"HALLOWED BOLT!" a voice roars from my 9 o' clock. I roll to dodge the blast as it flies by, lightning blades crackling through the air. After the dust clears I see that the ranks have parted, allowing one Cidolfas Orlandeau forward. The Thunder God, and one of the few Cids to actually be allowed into The Judges. This could get . . . dangerous.

"Well, well, well," says someone from behind me, as his arms slide under my pits and pin me against his chest. I know this voice. And I can't say I'm happy to hear it. "How long has it been, huh? I've missed you a lot, Farron."

"Villiers," I respond. "Can't say I've missed you."

"After all we went through? And I thought we were closer than that."

"Me, too. But then I see you're incapable of intelligence. You're working for DYSLEY. Where's your brain at?"

"I'm a hero, and I'm going to make Heaven safe. If it means I have to play with Dysley to get it done, I will."

"You're no hero, and you never were," I spit, as I stomp my foot down on his, causing him to release me. I make my way toward Benjamin, hoping to lose myself in the chaos. He's fighting a group of Seraphim being lead by Beatrix. This will get more than ugly. Much, much more than ugly.

"Lightning!" Benjamin shouts, "I've got these guys! You take care of the big guys!"

"You sure? There's a lot of them."

"Hey," Benjamin says, "I've got bombs." He produces one, and lights it, then chucks it into the Seraphim. The bomb explodes on impact, and sends the enemies flying backwards. Their screams of agony fill the air as I rush past Benjamin.

Once beyond, I come across several unexpected faces. Celes Chere, Leo Cristophe, and one Cecil Harvey. They fan before me, blocking the path. That's okay, the idea is to take them out, anyway. Not a problem. The more, the merrier.

"Ms. Farron," Leo says, "This is your only chance. Surrender."

"No," Cecil says, "You have done too much. No surrender. No mercy."

"Sir!" Celes says, "You heard the Confessors-!"

"I did. And I don't care. I see evil, and I'll eradicate it. No more darkness, that is my wish." With that, Cecil swings his blade, "DIVINE RUINATION!"

I have just enough time to dodge before he sends a column of energy burning through, taking down a number of Seraphim who'd been somewhere in the madness behind me. I manage a derisive laugh, then say, "Thank you, Mr. Harvey. Your brother sends his regards from Hell. I thought it strange to find him there."

"You can ask him all about it when you meet him there yourself," Cecil says, spitting in my direction. "I have no more words than these for a sinner like you. Have at ye!" He rushes me again, I dodge his blade's blow slightly, and bury my knee in his stomach, elbow in his face. Cecil flies backward a step, then rushes me again.

I'm not fast enough this time, and his boot connects with my ribs via roundhouse. I manage to deflect his sword just moments before he'd have wiped me out with it. Thank the Gods his companions haven't stepped in yet, or this would get really, very, bad for me.

"A sinner, huh? What sins have I committed?"

"I don't have to explain the charges against you," Cecil says, running at me again.

"Apparently you needn't think, either."

"You would say I am a fool for not questioning my orders. I would say that questioning overmuch leads one to the paths of perdition you now walk."

"Really? You're so sure you're saved and I'm damned, huh?"

"Surer than I am that I'm alive."

At these words, Celes and Leo step in, all three come forward to attack at once. So I use that against them. None of them seems to be looking at the other. Leo's coming in too quickly, Celes too slow, and Cecil's movements are too erratic. So I stick out my leg as Leo comes at me, causing him to fall. His fall collides with Cecil's gait, and knocks them both into Celes. I make sure to kick them while they're down, then vault over 'em toward the city limits.

"Going somewhere, Farron?"

"Kain? Damn."

"Can't let you get out of here without a word, first, now can I?"

"You could. You keep talking, and I might accidentally rip your tongue right out."

"Now that's not fun at all. After everything we had?"

Kain drops down in front of me, spear in hand, golden hair blowing in the wind. He's looking wonderful, as usual. Must be easy to look great when you don't spend your time running from the Gods, but sucking them off. Bastard. I hate him so much.

"We never had anything," I say, "I had a protracted one night stand, and you had a somewhat more than masturbation as you got off to another man's wife."

"Not very forgiving, are you?"

"Should I be? Forgiveness isn't exactly vogue with you or your friends here."

"Your words wound me, Farron. I've come to offer you peace."

"Like you did Bahamut, huh?"

"No. Perhaps peace is a word you find disagreeable. Let's try . . . safety?"

"Safety? Like you'd give us that."

"For Gilgamesh it is too late. We've been hunting him for ages. But you and your friends have today as a last chance. Come back to me Farron. We were great together. You know it."

Damn. He has a point, doesn't he? It was fun . . . NO. No. NO. He hurt me, and I'm not about to forget that. And even if I DID surrender to these people, no way in HELL would I go back to HIM.

"Do I?" I ask, "See, cuz what I was lead to understand is that you and Rosa were great together. I'm surprised you didn't ever ask me to dye my hair or put on a wig."

"That's not fair!" Kain says, raising his lance in anger. "You've never ONCE given me a chance to apologize or explain myself. What a child you are! How very adult of you, you bitch! You keep on blaming me, claiming the relationship was all my fault, and all the time you just keep running away! Go ahead, then, live in your fantasy world!"

"You want to apologize? Do it. Quit acting so damn perfect. What in our relationship was EVER my fault? Gods, I was never more submissive and foolish than when I was with YOU. Whether it was sex or conversation or even who made the damn food. You wanted to make me into her!"

"You want to hear my apology? It would fall on deaf ears. Your heart has nothing but hatred in it now. Hatred is what drives you. What separates you, then, from the fiends of Hell? But I digress. You're willingness to hear or no, I give it: I am sorry."

"I know you're sorry, Kain," I say, readying myself, "now apologize."

"I am sorry," he repeats, "sorry that you are a heartless, cold, shameless bitch. Even the succubi in Hell have their victims for company as they burn in Hell. But you, you repel others like oil repels water. You will spend all eternity alone and cold. And I will be GLAD to send you into the darkness alone."

"I'd rather be alone forever than have to stand forever in the shadow of the man who took everything I ever wanted. I'd go willingly into the darkness, long before I would look, day after day, at the guy who fucked my one true love, night after night, and have to smile at him, shake his hand, be near the child conceived of the very union which kills me, and be kicked around by The Gods like a dog."

"You have NO idea what you're talking about."

"I can see it, Kain. You're anger. You've spent countless generations obsessed with one woman. One, single woman. And time, after time, after time, you have been beaten. You have tried everything. You have stabbed the man you call your brother in the back repeatedly-"

"That was Golbez' doing-"

"Was it? How about this, then? You killed your own GOD. You sold your soul, and I wonder what dark bargain you made with Cosmos for your unwavering fealty, Kain? What leash has that white robed dominatrix got around you that so completely commands you?"

"Again, your words are far from the mark. Though I am impressed. I had NO idea you were this talkative once delusional. Even in bed you were silent. Don't you know a man takes pleasure in making a woman scream?"

"I wonder," I say, as we begin to circle each other, both knowing the battle will soon begin, "I'm armed with a sword that can kill Gods. Is it any wonder Cecil Harvey has been incensed against me?"

"SHUT UP. You are out of line, Farron. You will NEVER get over the fact that once, just once, I said something you didn't like. So you think I'm obsessed with Rosa? That I made a deal with Cosmos for Cecil to die in battle, so I could have Rosa? Then answer me this: If the only reason a Seraphim remains unwed to this point is because he's obsessed with a married angel, why, then, have YOU never been married?"

"That's hardly your concern, now, isn't it?"

"Gods, what arrogance! And yet you blame The Gods for arrogance, isn't that what your extremist leaders have taught you? How can I even know what we had was real? Maybe The Scholar sent you to spy on me?"

"Ha! Or was it The Gods who sent YOU to spy on me? How do I know that little slip of your tongue wasn't a carefully orchestrated breaking of ties in preparation for The Day of Cid?"

"As many places as I slipped my tongue into you, and you think that was the one I did for you, and you alone? You are one twisted girl."

"Hey, wait," someone says behind us. "You mean YOU slept with her, too?"

"Gods," I groan, "Now who is it?" I turn and look behind me and, yep. Snow. Man THAT was the biggest mistake I ever made.

"What? YOU slept with her?" Kain says, "Gods, you'll sleep with ANYONE," Kain spits.

"As if you didn't already illustrate my poor taste."

"Stay out of this, Highwind. I'M the Hero in this story, I'LL bring her in."

"Yeah, Kain. Play second fiddle to one more pale haired pretty boy. First Cecil, now Snow. Look at yourself. Second rate again."

"DAMN YOU!" Kain roars, finally charging me. His lance comes fast and hard, and it's all I can do to defend myself. Snow comes in, trying to separate us, but I don't let him lay a hand on me. As those giant, meaty mitts he calls his hands go for the grab, my own fist rams into his throat. He can be made from all the muscle he wants, but that's STILL gonna hurt.

Kain doesn't lose a beat. He steps over Snow as he lies on the ground, gasping for air. He roars again, then charges me. Just when I block, he leaps over me, then lands behind me! I turn, but it's too late. He kicks me in the side and sends me to the ground. He jabs at me, and I roll out of the way just a moment before. I get back to my feet just in time to see him try the same damn move. This time, when he lands behind me, I'm ready for him. I fall forward, flip, and land a few feet away, facing him.

Now there's nothing left for us to say. We meet each other again, lance clashing with blade. Our bodies entwine in heat and steel and sweat, almost as they once did before. Where once we had given one another freely, in passion or love. Now as we strike at one another, battering, bruising, slicing, cutting, only one emotion remains between us: hatred.

It goes through my head as we fight. Everything we used to have, everything we had shared. We had built so much together. We could have been great, couldn't we? I remember the places we went together, how he took me to parties, how I met the best of the best in Heaven. How he introduced me to Cecil and Rosa, to Rydia, to Edge, to Cuore, to Cid Pollendina, and how Cid Pollendina had told me about Cid Previa.

I remember, vaguely, the captivation I felt as Pollendina described Previa and his views. I recall taking missions for The Cids prior to their Ministry for Cosmos. I didn't meet with Previa, personally, though, they always had a contact. And the contact always had his identity concealed from me. I remember how, even as our relationship grew, the nature of the missions The Cids were giving me was beginning to make more and more sense.

At first I thought I was just hunting Omega for them to keep it safe, but as I did their errands and dirty work, the corruption and vice of The Gods became clearer and clearer. The plan became more and more logical as I went, and their motives became my own. I remember, still, how I felt when, so soon after the break up, I at last met Cid Previa.

I felt so, so relieved. I felt comforted, and warm. It was somehow so familiar a moment. It was as though something more natural than nature itself. His embrace gave a strength and solace to me that I hadn't felt since Gods know when.

And here, before me stands the man who lead the hunt for Previa's friends. The dog who works for The Goddess who obliterated that wise and wondrous man. Kain Highwind and the people he works for and with took everything from me. And I will not let him get away with that.

"HALLOWED BOLT!" roars someone from behind me. I try to dodge, but the blast comes too fast, and I'm knocked to the ground. I see the source, and am annoyed I let myself get so distracted.

Cid Orlandeau. "Lightning," he says, "Meet Thunder."

"Not in the mood for poetry," I growl, trying to get up. Kain's lance finds my throat and pins me in place.

"What are you waiting for, Kain?" Cecil says, approaching us, "Finish her."

"Orders are to detain her."

"Cosmos has sent me word. We cannot let her live. She is too great a threat. Finish her."

"You of all people would so blindly follow orders, Cecil?"

"I have no choice, Kain. I haven't the liberty of questioning you have."

"Ah, I forgot. You spoke of puppets, Farron? You have no idea. You have no idea who controls who in this little chess game of ours."

"Kain." Cecil says, "Finish. Her. Now."  
"Or what?"

"You know what."

Kain glares back at Cecil a moment, then raises his lance again. Funny, it looks to me like they ALL have each other at knife's edge. Orlandeau, however, raises his hand. Here's an interesting sight.

"Wait. Before you finish her off, I want to satisfy myself of something."

"You?"

"Clear your mind, ser," Orlandeau spits, "I have a vendetta far more honorable than this. Let us not forget who here is under consideration for Ascension, and who is not."

"Fine." Kain says, kicking me, "Do as you must. But her head is mine."

"And if your collective lust for blood slakes with her, so be it. But I will not spend eternity knowing I did not fulfill this request of a friend."

Kain withdraws from me, and Orlandeau closes in. He reaches one armored hand down, grabs my throat, and lifts me to his face. I feel . . . compelled not to strike, even if this is the perfect chance. He pulls my ear to his mouth, and whispers, "Do not forget the name I speak to you: Ramza Beoulve. If anyone can see beyond the web of lies which consume this place we called home and held as sacred, it is him." A sound like a crackle begins to fill the air, "I will now deliver a painful shock into your body. It will not paralyze you, but it will be best if you scream as though it hurt much more than it does. One last thing: Tell Benjamin I have done what he asked."

Benjamin? Wha-AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Thousands of volts of energy course through my body. I shout in pain, and do my best to make it sound convincing. After what feels an eternity of my entire body turning to mush, Cid releases me, and I fall back to the ground. I try not to cry, but DAMN it hurts.

"Take her," Orlandeau says.

"What did you say to her?" Cecil asks.

"I would remind you, ser, that though you command this unit, I am here of my own free will."

"What did you SAY to her? She killed Bahamut! If you were caught even COMFORTING her-"

"SER," Cid says, his blade suddenly pointed at Cecil, "Understand the following. I. Don't. Answer. To. YOU. I don't answer to Cosmos. I am angel to Faram, of the Elohim, a choir to which not even The Lady pertains. I am in line for Ascension. I do not NEED to be lectured by the likes of YOU Cecil Harvey. I have no interest in these petty feuds between you and your kin. And I will not stand here and be accused of treason to The Highest. Now, unless the BOTH of you want me to expose the madhouse you have caused here when we get back, I would hope you put an end to this, immediately!"

It's about this point where Snow comes to. Damn, he's been out for a while. He sees me, laying on the ground near him, and says, "Hey, been awhile since I've seen you laying so near me. Damn, your afterglow used to be a hell of a lot hotter than this."

"Wait," says someone behind us, "You mean YOU slept with her, and I haven't?" Gods, its Gilgamesh. Now I KNOW I'm in Hell. The others turn their attention to him, each one pointing his blade at him. Snow gets to his feet, and assumes a fighting stance. It WOULD take a lot more for that moron to get a clue.

"You!" Cecil shouts, "How did you make it this far?"

"You're kidding, right? I've evaded The Gods. You think I can't undo an army of Seraphim? I didn't make my way to the top of Ex-Death's ranks and survive all that time wandering Time, Death, Life, Reality and Eternity just to be stopped now, kid."

"Cocky bastard," Kain says, "You won't be able to get by us."

"Oh, so YOU'RE the evil ex. I hope there aren't 7 of you to defeat. I mean, it gets REALLY tedious having to beat out yesterday's news in order to get a date these days."

"GODS," Kain says, "who HASN'T she told?"

"Don't worry your pretty little womanly face about it, buddy."

"What?"

"You heard me. Manly as your voice might be, you look like a woman. If all I knew was that you were Farron's ex, I'd assume she was a lesbian."

"HOW DARE YOU!"

"You women say that, SO, SO much."

"Women?"

"Yes, Mr. Harvey, you look fairly feminine as well. That and a zombie. I don't suppose you listen to emotional music, too?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Do you two wear turtle neck sweaters? Do you cry yourselves to sleep at night, listening to YRP? I bet you do."

"Enough," Cid says, "no more words. Now we fight."

"I'd love too, but I can't."

"Why is that?"

"Your brother is here."

And, sure enough, as Gilgamesh steps aside, the image of a Goddess appears behind him. Around her throat is a black claw. Positioned atop her head is another one. The Goddess in question is undoubtedly Minerva, Goddess of Gaia. And then, without warning, Golbez snaps her neck, and The Goddess bursts into flame as she collapses onto the floor. The Man in Black steps over her with a laugh.

"A gift, gentlemen. The sender is none other than Our Lord and Savior, Chaos. His idea of a welcoming gift for you all. To commemorate, of a sorts, his inauguration as Lord of Heaven."

"Brother!" Cecil cries.

"Cecil!" Golbez answers. "How good it is to see you. You'd best run along now. You have more important things to do than worry about this little place. We have laid siege to The Sacred Nebula. Come, brother. Show me one last time just how much you care. Delay and I will kill every last person you love. Starting with your son, and ending with your wife." He who is clad in darkness stops a moment, turns his ebon helm toward Kain, and adds, "You will come as well, Kain. You know, in case Cecil dies trying."

And with that Golbez vanishes. Cecil glares back at me for a minute, then at Gilgamesh. He roars in anger for a moment, then calls out to the Seraphim. They withdraw almost instantaneously. They flee the scene running, carrying the many we've knocked out along the way. Not a word for us, who, moments before, had been the object of their obsession.

Benjamin, Cuore, and Arazlam arrive only moments after.

"Right, then," Arazlam says, "Let's get the Hell out of here."


	19. Chapter 19 Convenient Too Convenient

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

Two minutes down the road I grab Benjamin by the throat, squeeze, then throw him to the ground. The others turn around in surprise as I shout, "Alright, spill it! Who the Hell do you work for?"

"What the Hell?" Benjamin exclaims.

"Stop playing dumb!" I shout, "I know you're working for somebody else, now TALK!" I kick him in the forehead as he tries to get up, sending him sprawling.

"Lightning, what the Hell are you doing?" Arazlam cries.

"Yeah!" Cuore snaps, "I'm the only one who hits the kid!"

"Shut it! He's a spy, and I want to know who he works for."

"A spy? Have you lost your mind? I'm no-"

"I said TALK!" I roar, kicking him in the chest once he's to his feet.

"You're nuts." Benjamin says, "Bat-shit crazy. I'm no traitor, but if THIS is how thing's're gonna be, I can't say I see much reason to stay with YOU anymore."

"That so? Who're you gonna go to, then, huh? Let's hear it, huh? Who're you reporting to, and what're your orders, you son of a bitch!"

"Screw you!" Benjamin spits, "I'm not working for anybody."

"Care to explain this little out-burst of affection, kitten?"

"Yeah, fine. Orlandeau said to tell you he'd paid his due. TO YOU."

" . . ."

"Your silence convicts."

" . . . Lightning, I-"

"Well? You don't have anything to say?"

"We can't stay here," he says, as though to change the subject. "We have to get out of here. NOW."

"Not till you talk."

"If we're going to ask questions," Arazlam ventures, "Shouldn't we ask the bigger ones, first?"

"The hell is bigger than a traitor in our camp?"

"Golbez killed Minerva. And he DIDN'T have Omega."

"Obvious, I should think," Gilgamesh says, "Who controls The Cycles between Chaos and Cosmos?"

"Cid Lufaine and Shinryuu," Cuore says.

"Right. So far your entire focus has been on Cid Lufaine, who has been backing Cosmos. You have entirely ignored Chaos in all of this; pawn though he might be."

"So Shinryuu is backing Chaos?"

"I'd think it makes sense. Chaos isn't as aware as Cosmos of the truth. Makes it easier for Chaos to manipulate him."

"That still doesn't explain how they offed Minerva."

"Oh, but it does."

"How?"

"Do you really think it was by chance that Gogo survived The Void? No, that, my friends, was a trick of the Holy Dragon's devising. One you can bet that Gogo wasn't aware of. And now, Gogo plays the fool for Chaos, and gives him the power to kill Gods. A sort of means for Shinryuu to tell Cid he's not joking around."

"And the cause?"

"My guess? You lot. I'm sure that neither Shinryuu nor Cid Lufaine are comfortable having Omega on the loose. As Gogo said: Seems to me we're pawns in somebody else's game."

"Too much speculation for my liking," Cuore says.

"Fine. Whatever. Don't care. Minerva probably deserved it anyway. Now spit it out. Who are you working for?"

"I don't think you understand," Benjamin says. "You're in over your head a million times over, and now you accuse ME of betraying you? Hear me out then, that much I should stay I still have the right to."

"Fine. Spill it."

"I worked with Orlandeau during the Thirteenth Cycle. A little before it, actually. Just before The Day of Cid. Our assignment was to recover two dockets delivered by Altena and Faram to Cosmos. We managed one only. During that, we chased down the thief, one Remedi, who lead us to a monster called The Dream Devourer, and explained its nature.

"The Dream Devourer is as the name implies: an entity which survives by feasting on the dreams of both the Living and the Dead. Its designer, we discovered, was none other than Cid Lufaine. In fact, Cid had been creating such abominations for ages. The reason? He wanted something that could kill more than just Gods.

"And he found it. Oh yes, he found that power He had so longed for. He discovered it in what He called 'The Memory Eater,' then stored it away until the time should arrive. His purpose was one I cannot guess. I suppose he wanted to keep all other Gods in check, and ensure His perpetual dominion over all creation.

"In the battle with the Dream Devourer, I saved Cid Orlandeau's life. For this he told me something of the utmost importance. He said he knew of a man who could get past The Memory Eater's power. A hero who could save Heaven in its darkest hour. He didn't tell me the name, but he said that one day he would send word.

"What I was supposed to do when he gave the sign was go to the location where this legendary hero could be found. A place I hoped I would never have to go: Giruvegan."

"Giruvegan? The Occurian city?"

"Yes. Ironic, isn't it? The Gods of Ivalice, in their hatred of the Occuria, shackled them to the city. The city which spans the length from Hell to Heaven. This city they used as their hiding place, the Gods, after Faram assumed full control. In Hell the Occuria shackled the Lucavi, in Life the Gods shackled the Occuria, and in Heaven, Faram arrested The Gods."

"And there we will find, what, exactly?" Cuore asks.

"There we will find him," Arazlam says. "Ramza Beoulve. The greatest hero of all Ivalice's long, and tortured history. The only true and faithful man."

"Only way this could be weirder is if we were all raised in the same orphanage," Gilgamesh comments, "but go on. Why is this great hero in this prison?"

"No," Arazlam whispers, shaking his head, "Giruvegan is more than a prison. It is a doorway, of sorts. A tunnel. Yes, many are there without hope of escape, but not all. True, Faram sent The Gods who defied Him there, but they remain at peace, and in paradise. Many of Ivalice's dead went to Giruvegan, once, long ago. Perhaps Ramza is not the prisoner, but the keeper?"

"Convenient." Gilgamesh says. "We're rather close to Giruvegan now, aren't we?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Much too convenient." Gilgamesh turns to me, then says, "Well? What do you say? Bennie here's saying we have a monster waiting for us in Memoria. We can hurry on toward there, or we can seek out this Ramza Beoulve. Your call."

What do I do? Now begins the movement of the phantoms pulling at my strings. Now I am caught in the web of lies too deep to carve a way out. No choice. Same choice. Always the same. Forward. Forward. Can't stay still. Have to keep moving. No second thoughts. No second guesses. Just go. Just do. Just move.

"Lightning," Arazlam says. "You need to rest. We've been on the run almost constantly since The Prison at Sanity's Edge. I'm worried for you."

"Touching," Cuore says, "But we haven't the luxury of staying here. Where do you suggest we go, your snootiness?"

"Lightning. Please, see reason. There is something very, very wrong. You need to know-"

"What? I need to know, WHAT?"

"Nothing, never mind. But please, Lightning. Please. You cannot push yourself so quickly. You need to pace yourself. We need to pace ourselves, or by the time we stand in a position to DO anything, we won't even be able to STAND."

"He's right," I say, "Giruvegan it is."

"Right then. No time to just stand here, let's go."

And so it is. Our next move is Giruvegan, a city full of sins Heaven would have forgotten. Giruvegan. The last step before we reach Memoria. The final moments before The Crystal World. Before I finally hold Omega's power in my hands. This is the turning point, the moment when people stop controlling me, and when I at last will be free from the tyranny of all things.

When at last I will free The Scholar, and Paradise, so long lead astray by The Gods and Demons, will be lost no more.


	20. Chapter 20 The Last Good Man in Heaven

**CODENAME LIGHTNING:**

Giruvegan, the City that goes from Heaven to Hell. I have to say, it IS an impressive sight from without. Just one long, winding tower, upward and upward, and upward. It spirals on forever and ever. It's imposing. A tribute to the might that the Ivalician Gods once held. Now it's empty and silent. Strange that this once thriving hotspot in Eternity has become nothing more than a hollow shell. At least, that's what it looks like from without.

We approach slowly, and it's obvious that nobody feels easy here. The place is like a graveyard, if the dead could die. Nobody speaks. We hardly breathe. I could swear there's snow everywhere, except it could just as easily be sand. Whatever the Hell it is, its bleak.

When we arrive at the gaping hole in the side we marked as our entrance, we are met by a sudden sound in the air. Something somewhere between music and laughter. Yet it does not convey joy. No, it seems to be something far, far less . . . simple.

"Welcome, wanderers, to that which once was the Bastion of Reason," an androgynous voice calls. The bricks of the floor before us begin to rise, and slowly, they take shape. Something akin to a seashell, with a great darkness within, and two tiny lights floating in that darkness. "Greetings, angels, holders of hope. Gerun is my name. I am the Gate Keeper of this place. The holder of that which once was Heaven's pride, and now is its Pariah."

"Gerun . . . !" Arazlam whispers.

"What business brings you to this sorry tower, with its sad story?"

"Ramza Beoulve," I say, "We want to see him."

"Then you have come to gain access to Olympus. Access Denied. Leave at once."

"And if we don't?"

"Long we held Ivalice in our hand. What makes you believe you will pass us?"

"You don't even have hands to stop us with."

"That is where you are wrong," Gerun responds. "If hands were necessary to crush you, it wouldn't be as easy as THIS!"

A surge fills the air, and sudden, inexplicable pain courses through our bodies. I fall to my knees in surprise. I can't understand what's going on! How? How can this be happening? It HURTS.

"Child of The Cids, tell me, wouldn't it be best for you to die? You keep fighting. Keep moving. Do you have any idea how many people want you to live? And how many people will DIE if you DO live? You are the sort of person I despise. You are a variable. You are not constant. You're uncontrollable. Yet they all want to control you.

"How I long to be a God in this day and age. I would have been so much better than the FILTH you people bow before now. You revile us, hate us. We Occuria would have been great. Look at you. LOOK at you. What a miserable collection of beings you have assembled here. Not a single one beyond reproach. Each one filled with sin to the point of stinking. Yes, you reek, like excrement.

"A woman living a lie. A liar. A manipulator being manipulated. A moron and a worthless pile of steel. None of you are even WORTH the effort. I should kill you now, and END this charade. Oh, yes, once we would have joined the scheming, hoping to take control. But you saw to that, didn't you? Crushed Seymour Guado when he was doing our dirty work.

"You miserable, dichotomous freaks. No, now I have no need to manipulate you. Now I have no need of you at all. All will return soon to The Void. The End is coming. Yours will be just a few more deaths in the bloodbath which Chaos now raises across all of Heaven. I should kill you all now, and have done with it.

"Can you feel that? That is pain. I do not know pain any longer. It is a sensation which belongs to Life. To Eternity. But for we who have been stripped of progress, who have been truly damned, feeling is lost. Do you like it? Does it remind you what it was like to be alive? Does it make you grateful, or resentful that you will never, ever, die? It would be more fitting to leave you suffering like this forever. I should kill you though, in case something happens.

"I should kill you all. Kill you all. Kill you. Kill you all I should. But I won't. No, no. Because your punishment will be much worse than death, or an eternity of suffering at my behest. Your fate is something I have waited long to see. Your fate will be witness to my vengeance. Gods have Mercy upon you, Child of The Cids, for you shall have no Mercy on Them."

A sword bursts through the midsection of Gerun, causing it to release us from its grasp. Gerun lets out a roar that is more than the sound of something dying. It is the noise of a being whose very existence was derived of hatred, distilled and stored for the perfect moment, and, when that time arrived, it died. Died a horrible, cruel, and utterly deserved death.

"My apologies for this," says the wielder of the blade as Gerun in fury tries to escape, "but long have you been asking, and I can no longer deny you your right." The sword is withdrawn, and Gerun crumbles, bit by bit into pieces.

"Damn you," it says with its dying breath, "damn you for this! Don't think this is over!"

"It doesn't have to be over," says the man who gazes at the ashes of Gerun, "I am satisfied that it has simply been done."

Getting to my feet, I take a good look at the man who has saved us. He is a plain looking gentleman, dressed in simple, white robes, which do not reveal any order of angelic class, but do not suggest any failings. Beneath the robes he has simple clothing on as well. In his hand is a long, plain sword. He is, for all intents and purposes, nothing to be desired. There is no fairness about his countenance to make him worth mentioning.

And yet . . .

His posture, his attitude, his smile as he looks at us, and the concern in his voice as he says, "Are you all well? " belie a quality I haven't the slightest means of explaining. There is something . . . else . . . about him. Something I can't put my finger on.

"Friends," Arazlam says, "THIS is Ramza Beoulve."

"This guy?" Cuore quips, "He hardly looks like a legend to me."

"Please," Ramza says, "None of that legend stuff. It's like you say, I'm hardly worth the attention."

"Nonsense! You're one of the greatest men to ever live in our home!"

"Arazlam, you silver-tongued devil!" Ramza exclaims, clapping Arazlam on the back, "No need to make a show of me for the ladies, please, introduce me!"

"Ah, but of course! This is-"

"Not the time, nor the place," Gilgamesh says. "Hate to break up this meeting of fanboy and loser in leather pants, but we need to get out of sight, if you catch my meaning."

"Ah, yes, how rude!" Ramza says, "The Occuria could be back at any moment. Let's get going now, shall we?"

With that, Ramza guides us into Giruvegan. The trip is long, and boring, and along the way, Arazlam and Ramza chatter incessantly. As we go I take the time to observe Ramza. I've come here for him, since he apparently can help us past The Memory Eater, but who knows? I just want to see who this man is.

Every time I look at him, I think the same two things: He's absolutely devoid of anything interesting, but somehow so damn sincere I can't turn him away. He isn't like us. He's not as ruthless as I've become, nor as cold as Cuore. He doesn't have Arazlam's jaded views of the world, yet he isn't as blind as Benjamin, nor eccentric like Gilgamesh. But it's deeper than that. His voice alone invites you to . . . believe.

But Heaven has no place for a man like Ramza Beoulve. Not now. It may not have ever had one. Cosmos' New Heaven cannot conceive of people like this. People who are so free, and yet, so intimate. But maybe I'm just MEANT to think all of this. I hardly even know him, and I'm not one to trust somebody so simply.

And then we arrive in Giruvegan. I'd thought we were already there, but the sight that greets my eyes is one beyond my imagination. It's a city more beautiful than I could ever imagine. Even The High Cid's Sacred Nebula has never been so glorious. The light plays here in ways that seem to reflect the emotions of the city's inhabitants. The sun beams here, but isn't scorching. Everywhere I look, angels dance around the city, going cheerfully about their homeland without a single care in their afterlife. Gods walk the streets with them, treating with all kindness those who so willingly minister to them as they go.

And Gods, there's even a school! An actual school where The Gods, keepers of that Forbidden Fruit of Ascension, teach and prepare their angels for the day they Ascend. I cannot help but feel . . . impressed by it all. It is definitely something else. Something impossible to find in Heaven nowadays.

"Welcome to our home," Ramza says, "It's not much, but we love it as our own."

"Not much?" Benjamin asks, "It looks a lot more than that."

"Looks like a dive to me," Cuore complains.

"Impressive," I say.

"Overly," Gilgamesh adds, "How do you keep this place like this?"

"Like what?"

"Don't play dumb, kid. Isolated. The entire place looks as though it hasn't changed in a couple thousand years."

"Ah," Ramza says, "That." He looks about him, then says, "Come with me. I'll answer your questions, but then you will answer my own."

We follow Ramza through the city, where here and there we're greeted by Angels and Gods with smiles and kind things to say. There's a market, but only for trading, and to me it doesn't seem that anybody is really haggling so much as, well, just trading. The town is full of fountains and waterfalls. There are moments I have to remind myself I'm within a tower, because, well, it really doesn't look the part.

At last we come to a small house tucked away in a corner of the town. It's a simple structure, lacking in the comforts that even my own, austere apartment held. It is the ultimate in simplistic functionality. It is a space where someone goes in, eats, drinks, and sleeps. There is a single table in the house, and we're surprised to see that there are enough chairs for us all.

Once we are all seated, Ramza begins his explanation.

"Giruvegan was once considered a prison, constructed by Faram to shunt everyone He didn't want around without having to strip them of their divinity and condemn them to Hell. While there is some truth to the tale, it so happens that, ultimately, Faram made amends with The Gods He'd exiled here, and the place became a second dwelling place for the dead of Ivalice. Unfortunately, The Gods here soon realized that many, many evil things lurked both below and without Giruvegan. It became necessary to defend this place.

"But something which has caused much pain in Heaven is war. And The Gods of Giruvegan would not have their home be subject to this. Eventually, everything from without became feared, and the city cut all connections it could. But a defense was still required. And so I remain, the only protector of this city, locked in a constant battle with the Occuria and their attempts to get in. It's pathetic, really, the way they never give up, even though they are beaten time and again. It's saddening to see them go on and on. I feel for them, really. I wish I could free them, but it seems now that their own hatred is what revives them.

"That is, essentially, our long, terrible story in a shell. Now, I have a question of my own: What is it that has brought you all here?"

We turn our eyes to Benjamin, feeling it best he explain himself, since the whole thing has been his idea from the start. Benjamin plays dumb to it for a minute, but after a sharp smack to the back of the head from Cuore, he spits it out. "We're going to Memoria, and we need a way past a monster there called The Memory Eater. Cid Orlandeau once told me that YOU could help."

"Memory Eater? I'm afraid I've never heard of such a beast. Why would Orlandeau say such a thing?" Ramza asks, a puzzled and dark look crossing his face. "It's been a long, long time since I last spoke to Cid Orlandeau. Most of my friends and family dwell with Faram, only I am here in Giruvegan. Still, there's more to it than that, I suppose." Ramza looks away from us, then adds, "He hasn't been right in ages. Not since he began associating with-"

Suddenly there's an explosion, and the walls come crashing down around us. When the rubble clears, I look above myself in disbelief. I had not expected this. Not here, of all places.

Above us hovers the form of a man most displeasing. A man who calls himself Galenth Dysley. Barthandelus. More monster than man, though, and more monstrous than anything else.

"Pity," he says, "I loathe doing things like this, but I have no choice." Behind him, all of Giruvegan bursts into flame, and Gods and Seraphim wearing Judge armor and bearing Cosmos' flag of the White Wing march into the streets. The blood bath that breaks before us is sickening to behold, as Angels are stripped of their divinity, and cast out into The Void.

"Barthandelus!" I roar, pulling myself free.

"Hello, child. I thought you might be here. As High Confessor, I have come to pass your sentence. The Law can no longer abide your continued existence."

"You monster!" Arazlam spits, taking up arms. "Come here and fight us like a man!"

"No, no. I won't be goaded by you." Barthandelus raises a finger, and from it fires a shot into Arazlam's arm, knocking him to the ground. "You were building an army all this time, Ms. Farron. We have found it, and we have engaged it."

"What? What army! These people bear not weapons!"

"Of course, we have the element of surprise. But they will be stopped. You were going to aid Chaos in His attack on The Sacred Nebula. For this reason we will send you all back into The Void. Denied are you of even Hell's warmth."

"You're joking!" Benjamin shouts, "What aide would a city without weapons be to Chaos!"

"There are weapons here. We have been informed, and we will find them. But first we will eradicate you."

"You will not." Says Ramza, stepping past us. "I won't LET you."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No. It is a promise."

"You have a sword in your hand. You intend us violence. And you prove the lies on your lips. I thought there were no weapons in this town? Behold, one before my eyes. You infidels will pay for your vile schemes."

"You can twist it however you like," Ramza says, "You can lie to yourself and to your minions,"

"I am sinless. I have done nothing! You throw the first blow, and I defend myself."

"You can say that you haven't a qualm."

"I am beyond your pathetic scrutiny. I am pure. CLEAN. HOLY. You are a mongrel and a monster."

"You will NEVER hide what you have done, though, from the very eyes and souls of this place, and its people. Someone will know, and they will hunt you. Justice is not with you, but rather, it will seek you."

"Speak not to your superior this way!" Barthandelus roars, finally lashing out at Ramza, slicing a long cut along his face.

"Ramza!" Benjamin shouts, "Get out of there, you don't stand a chance!"

"I am the protector of this place. This is what is right. Please, help the others to escape. Please."

"You are stained black with sin, boy. You are so far below me that to crush you beneath my heel will be to do service to all of Heaven."

"Then do it!" Ramza shouts. "You are nothing but words, beast! Show me that there is more to you than this venomous tongue!"

"Then DIE." Says Barthandelus, his hand outstretched, the blast deflected by Ramza's weapon. The sword, however, shows obvious signs of wear.

"Again, friends, take this people from this place, I beg you." With that he turns again to Dysley, and, something in his eyes I can't identify, he says, "I am no one's puppet. I am no one's toy. I am not yours to kill. Though it be your flames which consume me here after, know this: You did not take my life today, no matter how many you take this day. You did not take my life, no. This day I give it freely that others live."

Ramza charges forward, his hopeless blade crumbling before Dysley's might. The High Confessor assumes his ghastly form, his gigantic head rearing before the charging man. I shout. Arazlam shouts. We all shout, what I don't know. Our cries are deafened by Dysley's roar. All we see is the shadow of Ramza's body snuffed out in the light of Dysley's fire.

And the man who had been all that stood between this place and destruction is by the hand of "Justice" and "Order" sealed to a nothingness deserved only by the most vile and unforgivable of monsters. And though I feel my very stomach lurching at the sight, I shed not a tear. I am become immune to these sights. All too common is this become to my eyes. The pain. The sorrow. The fear. In the end, all of it is consumed by the only emotion that remains to me: the fury.

And that fury itself is neutered by the situation. We run. Run like cowards. The only wish of this man was that we free those who he has given himself to protect. And we don't worry about that for an instant. Not a single act of heroism is found between us. All we do is run. We run for fear of our lives. We run from the all consuming flames of this man.

And as we flee the dying ruins of Giruvegan, one sound, and one alone fills my head. I wish it were Dysley's cold, mechanical laughter. I wish it were Ramza's agonized scream as he suffered pain beyond pain. I wish it were Snow's mockery, or Cecil's hypocrisy. I wish it were anyone, or anything, but what I hear.

Over and over again in my head I hear the word, singular, primal, sensual, perfect, "Rosa."


	21. Chapter 21 To The Bitter End

**The Scholar's Last Will**

What is the worth of a man? What is the value of his soul? What is the measure of his creation? Are we really are free, or nothing more than toys for The Gods who have spawned us? And what of that? We, man, are we not the children of The Gods? And if so, why are we and they so estranged? What is our nature? Why were we created, and where are we going?

I am The Scholar. I have long watched The Heavens crumble into obscenity. I don't know when it started, nor do I know why. Long, so long have I existed. Over the course of my existence I began to become obsessed with something. I began to have one single goal. A goal I cannot recall anymore. My goal is gone. Where did it come from? It was embodied in a paragon, an example, a man among men. But this man, he was a lie. He didn't exist. He was false. And when he vanished, so did my goal.

His name? Dorgann Klauser. He was the greatest warrior I had ever known. Were we still alive, or was he dead? I cannot say. But he was idealistic to a fault. His vision of society was all I could ever hold as true and right. He saw the way things ought to have been. Society of Life and Death would have been . . . perfect.

But he betrayed me. His vision, wherein there were no Kings on the table, but that Pawn and King could all have an equal chance. He gave it up. He crossed the board, and became a King himself. And in the act he denied me. Denied everything I thought we could have built together. But I, I know that his vision would still hold, with or without him.

And so I moved onward. I organized our choir. Yes, I created Obsidian. Five of Heaven's best Cids I gathered with the purpose of breaking the shackles imposed upon us by The Gods. I wanted equality. I wanted freedom. I wanted for us all to be either Kings or Pawns. The memory, I love it. I rejoice in those days. We were young and defiant. And all seemed so well . . .

I can still see it. The day we decided. No, was it the day, WE decided, or the day _I_ decided? I'm not sure any longer. The plan is so much grander, so much more complex than the vision Klauser had. To him, all that was necessary was war. War would end itself, and thus free the pawns and the kings. But war wasn't my style. No, to me, war was in and of itself the error. And it was war that I started out wanting to snuff out.

For the longest time, Obsidian continued, fighting the proxy wars of The Gods, but one day, when we thought we had hit it big, we received the request we had long waited for. A chance to work for Cosmos, who was the crux of it all. The Lady who had made these wars vogue. So we sat, and we planned, and as we planned, the planning, it fit perfectly to my own designs.

It was much more than just turning Cosmos in to the High Cid. More than just exposing Her crimes to all Heaven. The plan had a fail-safe built into it. It had an escape route, an insurance policy of sorts. It was so well thought through. But then the fail-safe failed me.

What is a man! A miserable pile of secrets! How contrived was my plan! How wrong were my assumptions, hypothesis, and our theories! I had sought to win in a gamble against The Gods, and had hinged my entire victory on one woman. A woman I had groomed and prepared for just this occasion. How cold, how cunning, how perfect was my scheme! Yet how very, very wrong it had become.

To make her my perfect weapon. My arrow aimed at Cosmos, to strike Her down if I fell in the course of my plan. A clean up. Essentially, I thought to myself that, if I failed, I would make sure that She went with me. It was the plan of warped little man, but at the time I felt it was the perfect scheme. It was to be my greatest triumph.

I dreamed of making this woman to be the perfect weapon. And I, oh Gods, I succeeded! I had groomed her to be bereft of sympathy, devoid of pity, and without mercy. I crafted her to be exactly what I wanted: a weapon, and nothing more. I needed her, a sacrifice to earn the freedom of all Heaven.

But then, after all that time, I at last met her. I met the woman I had made, and when I saw her, my heart broke. Something about the entire moment was so . . ._ familiar_. It hurt to see her hurt. It hurt to know what I had intended for her. It was one final, shining example of the evil of The Gods. And it shaped the events of that day.

As I found myself locked in a situation far, far beyond my imagining, in a thing that was beyond merely exposing Cosmos and inciting Heaven to a riot and bringing about Klauser's Heaven, my thoughts occasionally recalled her voice, and her tears, and my resolve would waver. When at last I lost in all my plans, the cruelest of fates that remained was that she, and she alone would be my only hope, and my only weapon left.

Cosmos defeated me then, Cid Lufaine had long, long been in Her favor ere this day, and my hopes could never be filled. At least, that is how it would have ended, had I not, in my own way, prepared her for this day. One last, final chance to free Heaven from the bondage of The Gods, and it had all been prepared before I had even met her. She had been ready, and, when the signal was sent, she moved into action.

Gods, what a monster I have become! Behold, here I am, slowly, but surely falling to pieces, rotting and losing myself, and this is all that remains of me, these final memories. What was my name before The Scholar? Did I have a family? Did I ever love anyone? Did I have children? What did others think of me? I no longer remember, I no longer know.

One singular thing compels me to continue existing. My absolute NEED for victory. I recall no face besides hers and Dorgann's. I cannot remember my name, nor hers. Only Dorgann's name, and Cosmos and Cid remain to me. I'm fading so quickly. I feel only regret and the need to win. It is all that drives me still.

I will succeed, that much I am sure of, but I ask: What is the cost? How many will fall so that I may rise? And when I at last undo Cosmos, what then? I suppose it no longer matters either. There is no escaping this. I am not coming back from this mission.

But every now and then I still see that weapon of my design. I recall her embrace, and her tears, and I feel like something more is stirring within me. Echoes. Phantoms. For, for me, there is no emotion left. Just hatred. Mine is an empty existence, to do nothing more than fulfill my goal.

Miserable musings, these are. I suppose this isn't making sense any longer. So much for this final "Scholar's Report." I'd say I spend my time just feeling sorry for myself, moaning about the lack of worth in my existence, but I no longer feel sorry for anyone or anything. At this point, I don't honestly care.

All I really want now is to see this to its end. This is my final record. Nothing more can I say. There is no more me. I am given now, to the new thing which is born between these blurred lines. I am going. I cannot hold on any longer, and I don't want to. I'm too numb.

Child of mine, when we meet, will you fulfill my dreams? Child of mine, have mercy on me, even though I had none on you. Child of mine, forgive this old man his last, naked sin.


	22. Chapter 22 Minhas Memorias Sao Tuas

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

So, this is Memoria, huh? Not that much to look at, really. It's pretty damn weird, though. Not the kind of place I would normally go to if I could avoid it. Gilgamesh lead us here from Giruvegan. The entrance to the place was . . . boggling. And once within, we were presented with nothing more than a single, winding way amidst a vast, dark wasteland.

As we go, slowly, but surely the area around us begins to pop into reality. It's made of strange and jumbled bits of buildings and forests, and, well, it's hard to say. We aren't in a forest, per se, nor a ruin. Wherever we are, it's strangely . . . familiar. But at the same time, I can't help but think that-

"These aren't your memories," says someone in the distance.

"Did you hear that?" I ask.

"Yes, but I wish I hadn't," Arazlam says. "This place is unnerving."

"Bah. It's not even the final dungeon. We have to make it before the counter reaches 12 if we're gonna get the good stuff out of here."

"What?"

"Huh? Sorry, I thought you'd get the reference."

"Well I don't. Mind explaining this place a bit more?"

"I don't know much about it, really. Enkidu came here once looking for the Tin Armor, but no luck. I only know the way in here because of that. It would've been useful to have found Necron before coming in here. ESPECIALLY because I have a score to settle with him."

"Well," Cuore says, laughing that twisted little giggle of hers, "I guess that answers that."

"What?"

"It doesn't even have to be ALIVE for you to want to have sex with it."

"And yet I haven't made a single pass at you, little miss testosterone."

"WHAT?"

"Sorry, I can't hear you over your Y chromosomes."

As they bicker, we continue our little walk down Memoria's lane. Arazlam's description is spot on: the place is unnerving. I can't shake the feeling I've been here before, but at the same time, it isn't so much that _I_ have been here before, so much that I have _been here before_. Which is an impossible feeling to express, but it is creeping me the Hell out.

And then I hear the voice again, but nearer.

"Welcome, my dear, sweet, juicy morsels. Enter, please."

"Who's there?" Benjamin shouts, brandishing his blade.

"I do not mean you any harm, though, from what I can taste, you have meant me some very recently."

"Quit riddling. Show yourself."

"Oh, what palatable memories you have, Ms. Farron! Would you know who I am? Would you gaze upon my form? But you cannot. For I do not function that way. Or do I? You can't recall correctly."

"I said: QUIT. WITH. THE. RIDDLES."

"Ah, you are not fun at all. As you wish, then, allow me to show myself to you, dear guests."

Of a sudden a strange white whisp appears before us on the path. When it clears, a beautiful young woman with shoulder length blonde hair appears. She is dressed in a singular robe that appears to be made of the cloud from which she emerged. The theory holds when she moves, as the clouds dissipate, and reveal her very naked body beneath.

"Wow . . ." Benjamin says, "Aren't you cold in th-"

Cuore's hand collides with the back of Benjamin's head, causing him to complain. Over his whines Cuore says, "Cute get up. You are . . . ?"

"What do you want to call me?" The girl asks. "I can be anything you'd like. But, judging by your memories, I'd say something simple suits. Call me . . . Namine. Yes, that will do. Namine, Chained Goddess of Memories, at your service."

"So you're The Memory Eater, then?" Arazlam asks.

"Feh. You look like some little pre-teen in some old man's dirty fantasy game," Gilgamesh says.

"What?"

"I said you look made up. Besides. No girl your age should be walking around naked."

"Does my body . . . bother you?"

"No, you yourself bother me Kitten."

"What the Hell is going on here, anyway?" I ask.

"I have been sent to guide you. There are things here in Memoria you are meant to see, I believe. This place is made of Memories. Some of them bitter, some of them sweet. Whatever your tastes, we have some here. Unfortunately, each of you will be seeing the Memories of the other. As well as one Memory that is very, very special. This is my purpose here, what is yours?"

"We want to get inside The Crystal World."

"Ah. I see. This way, then."

"Well this was easy," Benjamin says as we follow the clouded, chained Goddess of Memories. Something about this girl reminds me of someone, but I can't put my finger on it. I just can't seem to think of who this girl looks like. It's very . . . odd.

After about a half an hour's march, we come across the first of the memories. It's impossible to mistake as such, since Benjamin's clearly in the middle of it. The rest is a bit strange, really. It looks like somewhere we've been, but it isn't the way I remember being there. It's the bow of a boat, docked at a harbor that tugs at my mind's corners. On the boat, though, there seems to be a field of wild flowers, flowing on and on. There are two gray, lumpy figures toward the back of the field, and toward the front is a man resembling Benjamin.

He isn't quite the same, though. He's stronger, looks smarter, and definitely better looking. Body of a bronzed God, face of some star, and hair that flows in the wind. I mean, there's definitely something about him that reminds me of Benjamin, but if you take a step backward, it just really doesn't look like him at all.

Then, between the gray lump couple and the Benjamin-God there's a woman with blue hair rolling down to the middle of her back. Her breasts are ample, her clothing isn't. Her eyes are replaced by two giant, cartoony hearts, and rose petals fly around her.

Adding to the strangeness of the scene is that it is completely still. It's frozen, like a 3 dimensional painting, like some manner of in-depth photo. It is . . . the weirdest and most disturbing thing I think we have seen so far. Even considering that we marched through The Prison at Sanity's Edge, which was trying to freak us out the whole time.

"What is this?" Arazlam asks, "I feel like I've seen this scene, though somehow . . . differently."

"Of course," Namine says, "This is something you have seen, but this isn't your memory of it."

"Whose memory is this?" Cuore demands, "Because I'd like to have a word with them about that, that THING that's meant to represent me."

"My, my. So weak, so soon? You will see more tantalizing sights than these. Benjamin, would you care to explain?"

"Huh? Me? Wha?"

"This is how you remember, isn't it? This is the day you met Lightning, Arazlam, and Cuore. The day you joined them on their quest. Your motivation that day wasn't solely finding and destroying me, now, was it? No, I believe this illustrates all too well what else called you onboard that day."

"Uhm-"

"Feeling embarrassed? You ought to. Your memories are exposed to all for the viewing. But come, we must be moving along. There is more to see here. I will show you, I will show you where this all began."

We leave the boat in pursuit of Namine, Cuore bickering with Benjamin the whole way. The pathway leads us through the ocean, frozen hard beneath our feet. Along the horizon we see what appears to be another forest popping into view. After walking through the woods for awhile we come across a man's body, lying in a pool of blood.

It's too strange to forget this sight, and as the man's lack of face becomes apparent, so, too, do two other figures standing just ahead. Arazlam, and me. It's us alright, though we both appear considerably weaker than I recall. For crying out loud, Arazlam's limbs are thinner than my wrist! Hunched over the man, hands hovering over the hole in his chest, but somehow clean of blood, is the figure of a woman. Her hair isn't blue, though, but rather a dark shade of green. In fact, she doesn't really look much like Cuore at all. She looks like . . .

"Rydia," Arazlam remarks. "You see yourself as some twisted clone of Rydia? How pathetic."

"Shut your trap NOW." Cuore says. "Or I will shut it FOR you."

"Look, your hands aren't even stained by blood. But they ought to be! I remember well how you looked at that moment. You had assassinated some angel for Hell, and would have kept on as Hell's dog had we not hired you on."

"How DARE you."

"I wonder how you're envisioning this entire scene?"

"Do you enjoy it?" Namine asks, "I find this memory particularly comforting. I only come to taste it when I'm feeling sad. The way this little memory is made, it, well, it just feels so _wholesome_ and _nourishing_, doesn't it?"

"You have one Hell of an appetite, eh?"

"Yours is interesting as well, Mr. Swordsman."

"Me? I eat kitties like you for breakfast."

"You may find me more a Tiger than a Kitten before long. But enough of this memory. We have so many more to see."

Beyond the forest we enter a rain storm. We bat our way beyond the frozen droplets, and come across a sight I assume to be my own memory. There's me, anyway, and the man who contracted me to do the dirty work of The Cids. I look so much younger than I recall, though. The rain has played along my body, causing my clothing to cling, and my hair to conceal my eyes.

But that's the way I recall it. It was raining that day. It was cold as The Void, and maddeningly windy to boot. I can almost make out the face of the man who contracted me, but not quite. It remains just as vague as before. No sudden revelations here, then.

"This must be my memory, huh? From the day I first embarked on this quest?"

"Are these your memories?" Namine asks. "Who can say?"

"Anybody else tired of these cryptic responses from bizarre creatures tucked into forgotten corners of Eternity?" Arazlam asks.

"I am." Gilgamesh says. "I need some _body_ to break up the monotony."

"Then let us carry on," Namine says, her smile either sincere or sadistic.

Again with the walking! Gods, weird as this place is, it's beginning to get repetitive. If I have to stare at this adolescent's foggy ass any longer as we make our way through this freaky fantasy land, I think I'm going to be a few Chocobo's short of a race. Honestly, the girl has the body of a 16 year old, and there she is, swinging her hips and bouncing her chest like there's no tomorrow. I hope I hope I hope oh how I hope this ends in a boss fight against her. Because honestly, I am really starting to get annoyed by this bitch.

"Your scowls of frustration are appreciated," she says, pointing to two figures beyond us. We're in a long, white plaza, and, from the looks of it, we are all alone, save two people embracing on a bench in the distance. "I don't enjoy this memory much. **I** don't, but there are many who hold this moment dear to their hearts. This memory . . . it is not as private as they think. It is . . . _very important_, and they keep remembering it. Meaning it's hard for me to even taste, because everybody wants to remember it. Not like these other, so-called important memories you were all carrying. No, this one I'm not allowed to touch."

Upon further examination, I feel my heart stop, and my stomach lurch. I know this memory. I know it only too well. And I DON'T like that it's on display. Not in the slightest.

"Ms. Farron, could you explain for us who these people are?"

"What is this? Why are two of my memories being shown?"

"Do not evade the question, please. And don't be cross with me. I, I just asked a question." Gods, she's starting to cry.

"I will not."

"Please-!"

"No."

**DO IT.** She barks, her face seeming oddly reptilian for a moment.

Caught off guard I say, "This is moments before Obsidian entered into ministry for The Lady."

"Who are these two people?" She asks.

"I won't say."

**SAY IT.**

"One is . . . me. And the other is . . . The Scholar."

"He looks very handsome. In his eyes is a gleam only Gods possess."

"I don't see why we have to see these sequences."

"I am showing you things which are very, very important. Important to your afterlives, important to the fate of Heaven. These are things which are, and which have great bearing upon your futures, and the futures of all Eternity. Is it wrong that I show them to you?"

"Can we just move along now?"

"What happened between you and The Scholar at this moment?"

"That's not yours to know."

**TELL THEM.**

_**NO!**_

"You won't say? But your memory will. Audio, please."

_"Hope, take it."_

"Stop!"

_"See how it spreads, from one person to the next? That is how hope works. It goes from one person to the next, filling each with as much hope as they will allow themselves to hold."_

"STOP IT!"

_"Take care of it for me, share it with as many as you can. Let's make this our Endless Cycle: Hope begetting hope."_

"I SAID-"

_"I will. Please, stay with me until it is time."_

_**STOP IT NOW!**_

The entire plaza shatters, the people crumble into pieces, and the cloud around Namine dissipates completely for an instant. Then she brings it around herself again, and we are left again on the path in the midst of a dark and dreary waste. She seems to be completely surprised, but quickly regains her composure.

"Well, I guess that's it for that memory, huh? Let's go see the others, shall we?"

And without another word she turns, and continues to lead us to places and memories unknown.


	23. Chapter 23 O Homem Velho

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

We've been wandering for Gods know how long now. I'm sick of it, this place. The sooner we're through here, the better. I want free of this place. I want it, but I don't. I can't explain it, but it has its slimy hold on me in a way I can't escape. It's controlling and possessive to the point of nausea, yet startling addictive.

No freedom. No hope. Just this. Gods I want out of this place. I want redeemed from it. Heh, as though Redemption were real, and not just another one of the millions of empty lies they spin about Eternity. So long, so strange, and then . . .

"Now here's one that has popped up recently. Not what I was expecting, though," Namine says, pointing before us. There are four men seated around a table. One of whom I recognize quickly as Bartz Klauser. Gods, it's been ages since I've seen that punk. There's another I pick out quickly by the red robes: Gilgamesh, sporting his classic look. Then who are these other two? As I stare I am startled to see-

"Who are these, Gilgamesh?"

"Me, Bartz, his father Dorgann, and Cid Previa."

"How strange a gathering. Whatever was the purpose?"

"None of your business."

"Don't resist. I find this one memory of yours . . . FASCINATING. All the others are so comical, so skewed, so full of additions. But this one you have perfectly guarded. Why is that?"

"Something very important happened this day."

"What happened this day?"

"Why should I tell you, huh? Not like your tail's gonna turn for me."

"I am The Goddess of Memoria. I am chained to it for all Eternity. Here, my dominion is absolute. You cannot resist me. What happened this day?"

"Dorgann Klauser mentioned Final Heaven this day."

"Final Heaven? What is that?"

"It was a bar on Gaia."

"I am aware. What was it in THIS context?"

"A subject of discussion."

"Concerning?"

"Anyone and everyone who isn't you."

"Exactly. So tell them."

"What? I-"  
"Please?"

"Final Heaven was Dorgann Klauser's vision of Heaven, wherein no Sin remained, no vice. Gods would work actively toward the elevation of all living and dead to their status. As he put it, 'No more Kings and Pawns.'"

"And?"

"The plan revolved around his simple idea. Any group of five men, in this case, Alexander Tycoon and The Dawn Warriors, could, by means of force, correct all of the wrongs in Heaven."

"How?"

"It was simple, really. All you needed was force enough to oppose The Gods. Something they feared beyond all else."

"Like what?"

"There's all sorts of stuff."

"It sounds pretty familiar to me," Namine says, sitting on the table in the middle of the memory. "Five persons hoping to change Heaven by means of force. Where have I heard that before? And a power that even The Gods feared. Very familiar, yes. Whatever happened to Dorgann's plan?"

"It was a success. He and the other Dawn Warriors managed to force The Gods, but it wasn't quite what you'd expect. The Gods made them equals, but that was it. Only them."

"How very, very interesting. When was this?"

"This was soon before the 11th Cycle of War between Cosmos and Chaos. Dorgann and Bartz were drunk off their asses, because they'd just received word that Bartz would again be fighting for Cosmos. Something he could tell no one. Not even Cid Previa and I were aware at that moment."

"How many of you are there?"

"Now? Five."

"That's all I wanted to know. Let's keep moving, shall we? We've got another memory to see. One you'll find much, much more interesting."

And so she leads us out of the little shack and through what seems to be the amalgamated bits of all manner of towns. I can see Bhodum here, and I'm assuming that's Bervenia. The rest of it I don't recognize. There're parts that're full of tubes which have Maenad floating within. Other parts have soldiers training and sweating and bleeding in armor, more still seem to be made from a small farming community in the mountains.

"Where is this?"

"I am leading you through the memories of your births to a memory that predates your births. It is not your memory, nor is it mine. But if you will enter The Crystal World, this memory is one you will have to bear as well."

"So these places?"

"Are familiar to your infancies. It must be strange to have a childhood. Wouldn't you agree, Cuore?"

"Can't say. By the time I was developed, The Creator was already trying to free Himself from Himself. I was just a weapon."

"And I am just an iteration. You and I, I wonder how similar we might actually be?"

"Which is to say?"

"You have the power to manipulate Gods. You are feared and hated by Heaven simply because of what you are. Look at me. I look like just a harmless girl, but you all came here intending to kill me anyway." Namine stops, sidestepping me, and invading Cuore's personal space ten times over. It's to the point where Namine's whisp actually envelopes both her and Cuore. This is an . . . unexpected turn of events.

"You are so misunderstood," Namine says to Cuore. "But I can hear your every thought. I could listen to your problems forever. Nobody here understands your needs. But I can . . . _fulfill_ them for you."

"Really?" Cuore purrs, welcoming Namine's unexpected embrace, her own hands sliding up her neck. And then, to Namine's surprise, Cuore's fingers sink into the back of her neck. "Then let's start with my thirst for your blood, huh?"

"You reject me? Why?"

"You freak me the Hell out, bitch."

"Fine." Namine evaporates from Cuore's clutches, and reappears before me. "But when we have terminated here, do not say I gave you no auxiliary options. I have tried to appease each and every one of you, but you have all resisted and rejected me. Such treatment is unbecoming of angels toward Goddesses."

"Just show us the next damn memory."

"Very well."

We resume our march through the freak-show, with Cuore and Benjamin obviously upset. Though it's my professional opinion that Benjamin's tense state isn't exactly one of . . . stress. As we go, the only thing we have to break the monotony are the prying questions Namine launches at us.

"Let me ask you something: Do you know what a Hero is? What it takes to make one?"

"No, I guess not. I've never had much interest in 'Heroes'," I say.

"It's really not so complicated a process as you might believe. All it takes is a pure heart, a good intention, and a selfless act. It is only natural for Life to protect Itself. But what makes a hero is the ability to act in favor of another, for a perceived good."

"So what you're saying is that heroes fight for the good of everyone, and not just their own?"

"You could put it that way. But what if you were to manufacture a hero?"

"Don't pursue this subject." Gilgamesh warns. Who he's warning I'm not sure.

"The act of making heroes is one which Gods have been doing for a long time. Heroes of Time, of Winds, of Courage. They set up Gurus of Reason, of Life. And yes, they have even made a few Warriors of Light."

"Everybody knows about The Warrior of Light. Cosmos' personal body guard, and Heaven's Paragon," Cuore says, "He's either Her consort or Her slave."

"A truer summary you cannot find," Namine continues, "But did you know that this lone Warrior of Light was not one, but four? And that these four were in fact six? Not once has someone wondered from whence that Warrior originated. He is simply there, His entire past erased."

"Let this be," Gilgamesh says. "This is not something we need hear."

"Stay your tongue!" Arazlam snaps, "I would hear this."

"He is the end result of a long, long line of experiments, and the cause of many, many more. Have you heard of The Dark Warriors?"

"The heroes who exposed Famfrit and caused Her to be cast into The Void?"

"Yes. The very end result of The Dark Cloud's own experiment to obtain The Void, and a part of the Hero project."

"What? But then-"

"Oh, this project is much more open than you'd think, Mr. Durai. True, few people would ever think The Dark Warriors were a part of a massive scheme by The Gods to manipulate the hearts of Heaven's masses, but what about The Zodiac Braves? Were they not Light Warriors of a kind?"

"I beg of you, do not do this!"

"What's the big deal, Gil?" Benjamin asks, "I mean, as far as I can tell, knowing this is to our advantage."

"To your advantage, perhaps," Namine says, "But is it to his?"

"What does she mean?" I ask.

"Question: who were the men Dorgann Klauser used as the proto-type for his Final Heaven project?"

"The Dawn Warriors."

"Do you not yet see the pattern? No? Then I shall show you the trigger to this gun."

"Wait, but if The Dawn Warriors served as a part of Final Heaven-"

"Yes, it means Gilgamesh has been aware for a very, very long time about The Light Warrior Project, and even Final Heaven."

"What?"

"It's true, isn't it, Mr. Gilgamesh?"

"Yes. I have been aware for a long time what The Light Warrior Project _is_, and as the memory you've shown indicates, I am also aware of what Final Heaven _is_."

"Then that means-"

"That I'm a spy in your camp? You've a better chance finding a moogle in a behemoth's den. I know what these projects ARE. I don't know their goals. I don't know who runs them, but I can guess."

"Lightning, I warned in the beginning that we shouldn't trust so many persons with this quest. I do not doubt for an instant that he is the spy mentioned in Gogo's prophecy."

"Me? A spy? Look around you. Have I once lied about my intentions?"

"Fair enough. You HAVE been blunt."

"Hey, guys-"

"Not now, Benjamin! So talk, then, Gilgamesh, if you're not a spy, how do you know about things nobody else in Heaven has even HEARD?"

"Guys?"

"I KNEW Dorgann Klauser's son as a close, personal friend. That's how I met the old man. We fought together countless times. I participated in Dissidiae for Chaos. I went through Gods know how much trouble to set up Phantom Village, and along the way I managed to put a few things together."

"Guys?"

"WHAT IS IT BENJAMIN?"

"You're totally gonna want to see this."

We turn our attention to Benjamin, who in turn is pointing to Namine, who is seated on the lap of a very old, very haggard looking man in black armor. The man in black is resting on the crumbling remnants of a throne, and, it occurs to me, we seem to be in some manner of blackened out city. It's burnt to a crisp, its towers lying here and there. The man in black's chest lies completely open, revealing a large, red ball, floating just without. His eyes are empty, his hands limp, head turned aside, beard ragged. He seems as though he is dead. He looks like the other memories, but somehow . . . is not.

"Who is this?" I ask.

"Can't you tell?" Namine asks with a giggle, caressing the man's face in her hands. "This is the end result of The Sky Warrior Project, as well as The Dischord Project conducted by one Professor Cid. Did you know that The Scholar made a bit of an error when he referred to this as The Genomic Artificial Restoration of Life, Art, kNowledge, and Data or G.A.R.L.A.N.D. Project? His error is entirely justifiable, as there has been a very, very large cover up for this made, but it was a critical error to make; one that ultimately caused his fall.

"Burmece lied, under orders of Cid Lufaine, to The Scholar as to who and what G.A.R.L.A.N.D. was. It does not stand for Genomic Artifical Restoration of Life, Art, kNowledge and Data. G.A.R.L.A.N.D. stands for Guaranteed Artifical Retention of Life, Ability, and Nerve Device, which is in and of itself a play off of the original: Generated Automatic Reproduction of Literal Abnormality and Negativity Device.

"The first, Guaranteed Artificial Retention of Life, Ability, and Nerve Device is that which you see here. He is . . . the deal that Cid Lufaine struck with Shinryuu. He is a machine, in a sense. A body which forever houses the spirit of Garland. Nigh indestructible, forever chained to Life. It is a way for Cid Lufaine to buy Himself some much needed Time.

"The second, Generated Automatic Reproduction of Literal Abnormality and Negativity Device refers to the original. A weapon which would spell victory for Lufenia in the battle against their foes. A being which could wield the literal, abnormal negativity of the universe. That which you know as 'Dischord.' It functioned almost completely by itself, and was the sixth and final Sky Warrior. It was the end result of much, much labor by Cid Lufaine's department, which was just a single cog in the war machine of Lufenia.

"Ironic, huh? G.A.R.L.A.N.D. was the end result of the prototype for all of today's Light Warrior programs. In the end, it was this very program, copied and excellently executed by Cosmos that undid this man. Remember, then, that at the time Cosmos existed in two separate realities. One Temporal, and one Eternal. In Time and Life, she was Princess Sarah, madly in love with this time travelling warrior, Garland. In another, she was Cosmos, locked in a desperate struggle against Chaos in The Crystal World.

"Did Bahamut tell you a version of this story? I wonder how much He fabricated. Did He mention the paradox that was created? How could Garland be Chaos, if he had not yet become Him? Did Bahamut also mention that some still unknown third party intervened and put an end to the conflict? I doubt He did, despite His own involvement with said power.

"Beyond here lies The Crystal Realm, where you will indeed discover the key to Omega's power, but I must know: Are you truly willing to utilize it, even knowing what has gone before you? Even having seen what I have shown, and with all the questions I have raised, will you yet go further?"

My head is spinning. I have no clue what's going on now. It's all so convoluted and contrived that I can't keep straight the lies. I'm absolutely lost in the end. I haven't the slightest what I should even say. I feel so . . . powerless for a minute.

Then, confused as I am, I feel that same damn mantra pop into my head: Don't think. Just go. Forward, forward, always forward. Can't think, just have to act.

"I've come too far to turn back now. I will take Omega, and with it in my hands, I will stop Cosmos and force Cid Lufaine's surrender."

"Even noting the similarities between yourselves and Final Heaven and The Light Warrior projects? You would go on, not once questioning whether this is all an elaborate scheme or not?"

"I've no time for questions. I will do what I set out to do. Besides, if somebody really is pulling my strings, they're forgetting one important thing."

"And that would be?"

"They're giving me a hell of a lot of power for a puppet."

"I see. In that case, you must kill him."

"Who?"

"G.A.R.L.A.N.D. He is the center of all of this. The Dragon and The Highest have him as their central playing chip in their struggle for freedom and power. Both wish to be free of the other, and to have total control of Eternity. The major playing chip is this haggard, tired old man in whose lap I sit."

"What?"

"You would play in this game of The Gods, so be it. But if you stand to challenge them, you must put an end to this man. I wonder, can you do it?"

"You are a very sick little girl."

"I don't want you to," she says, her face contorting in sorrow, tears springing in her eyes, "I have grown so fond of Mr. Garland. But this is how it must be. This has to happen."

"Then why do I have to kill him?"

"He isn't here any longer. Chaos has used him up and moved on to another avatar. Cid Lufaine clutches his life as more valuable than all reality. Shinryuu uses his continued existence as the major foothold of his power in this realm. His life is tied to Shinryuu's, and Shinryuu's to his. Sarah, the woman he loved in life, has long since vanished within herself. What does he have left to live for? What is the reason of dragging on his existence, when there is nothing left for it any longer. He longed for The Void, but that was ages ago. Now he isn't functional, even to that degree.

"How can a man, who once shook Heaven and raised Hell, rest, when this is all that remains of him? You do him a service in ending him, more than anything else."

I look at the face of the most feared man in all of Heaven. It's an odd face, and an odder feeling. I'd always imagined him so much differently beneath that armor and mask. But here he is, forever one single moment from dying. He's old, and broken. He's a shell, without reason or purpose. He's a shadow of an age long since lost. He never was a man, and never became one.

This is the man who became the monster that caused the evils of my world, and millions of others. This is the one who took away everything I had ever loved, and put me through Hell, and now he is completely, utterly at my disposal.

And as the anger rises in me, and the blood rushes to my face, and my fingers to the hilt, I feel something inside me snap. Something I can't control. Something that I'm afraid of, but is too powerful for me to hold back.

"I'm going to wake him now. Make this sacred. The man cannot remember a thing. He has no idea who he is or what he's done, and moments after I wake him, he will die. Be gentle."

Namine releases Garland from the memory's grasp, then steps away from him. His eyes open for just a second, and then I lose control. I scream and I shout and I cry, but I can't stop myself. Omega flies into my hands and I beat him with it. I tear him limb from limb with it, rending and cutting and sawing and all the while I'm shouting, even as his cold, ancient blood spatters everywhere. I keep shouting long after it's over to hide my tears.

It hasn't changed a thing, not a single thing. I don't feel better, and I don't feel vindicated. He's just dead. In the end, the source of all evil was just some old man, lying around, waiting for me to kill him. And I don't even feel that great about killing him.

I just feel the same thing I've been feeling for a very, very long time now.


	24. Chapter 24 Sem Misericordia

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING.**

"Good, very good," Namine says, her breathing heavy. "This memory I will savor. Oh, how sweet it already is. The transformation is at last begun. You're the perfect Orstedd, did you know that?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind. The time has come. She cannot stop me now. I have no further need for this form, nor for Her. You have all been so helpful. I had so much fun. But now, I cannot allow you to go further."

"Look at me," I say. "After what I've just done, do you think I give a damn about you?"

"Brave words, but that is all. You have expended too much strength already. And now I will cast this girl off and take you down with her."

"Bring it on, bitch."

Namine suddenly screams in agony, and then drives her hands into her chest. Her fingers sink within the flesh, and begin to pull. As she pulls herself apart, splitting down the middle, something far, far worse begins to emerge. To describe the nightmare that leaves this creature is beyond my doing. I'd say it looked like a dragon, but I've never seen a dragon like this before.

**I AM RAEM, THE MEMORY EATER. I AM THE PRODUCT OF THE LAVOSIAN EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED BY CID LUFAINE. YOU SHALL NOT PASS ME, FOR I WOULD FEAST UPON THE MEMORIES THESE HIGH GODS CREATE AS THEY DESTROY ONE ANOTHER.**

"Touching." I say, "Can I kill you yet?"

**YOU CAN TRY.**

"My pleasure." With that I charge Raem, Omega in hand. Raem roars once, and suddenly my head feels like it's exploding. I see my sister's face before me, on some special day, and suddenly it's gone. Whatever I had recalled about the occasion is erased. Just like that. It hurts in a way that pain never could.

**DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW, ETROSIAN PRINCESS, ORSTEDDIAN PAWN, JUST HOW FAR OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE YOU ARE THIS TIME?**

I get to my feet and continue the charge. Again Raem comes at me. A night were we slept in Oerba, cold, afraid, but full of determination, and like that, it's gone. Again I find myself on my knees incapable of moving forward.

**YOU OVERREACH YOURSELF. I WAS MADE TO CHALLENGE SHINRYUU, WHOSE MIGHT DOMINATES GODS. YOU CANNOT WITHOUT A WEAPON HOPE TO FACE EVEN ONE GOD. DO YOU KNOW HOW GREAT YOUR PERIL HAS BECOME?**

"Shut up. I'll kill you, and then I'll kill your makers." On my feet. One step after another. Can't stop. Raem's roar echoes in my ears, and then my mother's face is gone from my mind. I feel as though he were kicking me in the stomach, and my body acts as though he were, but I just keep telling myself the pain is only in my head, and that I can't stop.

**DO YOU WISH TO CHALLENGE CID LUFAINE? FOOL! YOU CANNOT EVEN FACE THE BISHOP, HOW WILL YOU EVER TOPPLE THE KING?**

"I don't care about this fucking analogy any more. I will kill you. I just killed a crippled old man who couldn't remember the evil for which he deserved to die. He couldn't even resist, but I still killed him for it. Do you think I will stop for you?"

Raem roars and roars and roars, and memory after memory fade away. My first kiss, my first date, my first time. I find myself on the ground, and I can't tell if I just coughed up the blood in front of me, or if it was Garland's.

**YOU DO NOT TOUCH ME. YOU ARE NOTHING. NOT EVEN YOUR FRIENDS HAVE DARED TO COME TO YOUR AIDE. SUBMIT TO ME. I OFFERED YOU ALL YOUR FREEDOM, AND YOU FORSOOK IT. ACCEPT THE FATE YOU SO CALLOUSLY DEMANDED I GIVE TO YOU!**

"Get over yourself," I say, almost near enough to strike him. Raem's eyes flare and something like fire escapes his mouth. It's no flame though, as it moves in, instead of out. With it goes the memory of my death, of my birthdate, and so much more. I'm so near Raem I can smell him, but I can't find the strength to get up. I need to get up. Have to get up. But I can't. It hurts too much.

**QUIVER, BRIEF ANGEL. NOW IS YOUR END.**

"Not so fast, scales."

**WHAT?**

"Look, I'm all for a good cat-fight," Gilgamesh says, "But now you hardly look attractive at all. Without the tight little butt and gag tits, you're not really so easy on the eyes."

**YOUR PERVERSITY WILL BE OBLITERATED MOMENTARILY. FIRST, THOUGH, I WILL DESTROY HER.**

"Can't let you do that, scales. See, what if you made her forget just how epic of a manly-man I am? I mean, with these arms and all, I'm too impressive to be forgotten!"

**YOU DO NOT AMUSE ME. SUFFER!**

Raem lets out that memory wiping roar, but Gilgamesh doesn't seem fazed. He just keeps walking. Raem attacks again and again and again, but to no avail. Gilgamesh comes beside me, crouches down, and lifts me to my feet. My back is pressed to his chest, and I'm certain he's intentionally holding my abdomen against his.

"Hey, if I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me, kitten?"

"Shut up," I laugh, trying not to heave in pain. How can he possibly be thinking about that at a time like this? Especially while I'm covered in blood?

"Tell me something: you really want to beat this guy?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Alright," he says, twirling me around to face him. "A kiss for luck then." And with that, Gilgamesh puts his lips to mine. I'm surprised, shocked, offended, and actually a little impressed . . . for being totally nuts, he's actually not that bad! To my amazement, as he holds me to him, pressing the warmth of his body to mine in this eerily cold place, he slips his hand around the one I've got Omega in.

Gilgamesh breaks the kiss and grabs me by the side, then lunges in one semi-liquid motion at Raem, plunging the weapon into him repeatedly. Gilgamesh strikes again and again with such speed he's making my arm hurt from the wrist onward. All of this, however, continues as Raem shrieks in agony.

**FOOLS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! CEASE! IF YOU DESTROY ME, NO ONE WILL KEEP SHINRYUU AT BAY! HE WILL BREAK FREE OF THE CRYSTAL WORLD AND CHALLENGE THE HIGH CID! YOUR ACTIONS DOOM US ALL! PLEASE, STOP! MERCY!**

"No," I say, releasing myself from Gilgamesh's grasp. "There will be no more mercy." And with that, Omega comes down on Raem's face. The Memory Eater cries out one last time, as though in fear, alarm, and abject terror. The Memory Eater's body shatters, and reverts to the form of Namine. Her cloud is gone, and her body floats naked before us, full of wounds from where I had stabbed Raem.

"Is this what it feels like . . . to die? I . . . I'm scared . . ."

"Good." I say, "Soon, The Gods themselves will feel the fear you now do."

"You really do make the perfect Orstedd, you know?" and with that, she shrieks, a blood curdling shriek, then collapses to the ground. From her body rises a doorway. To The Crystal World, undoubtedly. No time to reflect. Memories taken makes the load lighter. Now it's time to just keep moving. Can't stop. Never stop. Kill. I am going to kill Shinryuu, and then, if I must, Cid Lufaine.

Maybe I'm caught up in their game of chess. No one would ever expect the pawn to cut the hand that moves it, though. And that alone will be the justice Heaven has so long been denied.


	25. Chapter 25 The Crystal Wastes

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

We've been wandering again. I'm sick of wandering, but there isn't exactly anything else to do. We went through the door, and entered into The Crystal World, but it looks well . . . very strange. It looks like the broken remnants of an actual world, except that everything is coated in what is either crystal or glass. It's snowing here. That or this white powder is something entirely different. Whatever the case, this place seems utterly lifeless. It's bleak, and unwelcoming.

There are cities, and there are wastelands. There are palaces, and there are hovels. There are mountains and deserts. There are monumental piles of wreckage here and there, but there seems to be nothing alive. No grass, no trees. No animals. No people. It's just one frozen moment. It can't be a memory, since we're beyond Memoria, so what is this place?

"I'm bored," Benjamin whines for the eight hundredth time.

"So go die somewhere," Cuore snarls, "that'll be entertaining at least."

"Why don't you LOVE me?" Benjamin shouted abruptly.

"What?"

"I said go fuck yourself."  
And again they start the fighting. I'm not sure how much longer I can stand the two of them constantly bickering. Gilgamesh has been oddly quiet since Memoria, and Arazlam . . . I'm not sure what to make of his behavior since we arrived here. One moment he's ecstatic about some strange new piece of trash he's dug out of the frozen rubble, the next he's asking me how I am. I'm colder than The Void, and I had to wash Garland's blood off with the snow here, how do you THINK I am?

In the distance, just barely off the horizon, I notice something large. As we approach, I'm almost certain its some kind of spire. I feel like I've seen it before, but I just can't recall . . . The others take note as well, and, as I had suspected, it is indeed a tower. The tower juts from a castle, the keep of which is behind a crumbling and forgotten wall. From the holes in the wall I can see that some manner of city once stood about the castle.

Opposite the castle and town is a pile of rocks that are either a jetty, or what once was a port. Beyond that there's nothing but a desert of glass until you arrive at some mountains, far, far beyond the castle town. The area seems surrounded by water, a river running behind the castle, and an ocean before it. I'd say we're many hours march from there, still, if not a full day.

We're atop a rocky mini-mountain of sorts, which enables this clear view of the land. It's all so lifeless. It's not exactly what I'd expected of a realm of legend housing the Crystals of Heaven. I wonder what happened here?

We descend the cliffs and make our way onto the barren plains. The glass sands crunch beneath our feet as we walk. The winds howl in fury, and the frigid snows whip at our faces. It's strange. It's snowing in this place, but for whatever reason, there's no snow on these plains. In fact, I haven't seen any since we went up the cliffs.

I feel annoyed. Not in the least because we're completely lost. No, it's more the fact that we've gone the most round about ways to get here, and now it seems utterly worthless. We went to Bahamut to find out what was going on, and He mentioned this place, but now, well, I can't say I really SEE the point behind our having gone to visit Him now. We followed Gilgamesh to The Prison at Sanity's Edge, and that proved almost more harmful than helpful. We went to find Ramza so we could have him off Raem for us, and he wound up dying because we were there.

It's so frustrating! Everywhere we go, destruction follows in our wake! Aren't we supposed to be fixing the problem, not causing it? Why are we all so damn cocky, anyway? We've barely survived our battles thus far, and as we go further, I can't help but feel like we're hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. We have to find SOMETHING about Omega here, or all our plans will come crashing down around us here. Without this, we'll never have the power to challenge Cid Lufaine.

"So long as you cling to the crutch of power, you will never save yourselves." Says someone nearby.

We all turn our eyes at once to see a purple cat lounging in the sand behind us. A cat. Just laying there, like it's no big deal. Like it isn't freezing here, and like this isn't the weirdest place in the whole of Eternity. What's more is that it spoke. Whatever, as long as it breaks the monotony.

"Say again?"

"You can't cling to power; as long as you do, you will never save anyone." The cat rolls his eyes, as though it were the easiest thing in the world to understand.

"And you are . . . ?"

"Me? You don't know?"

"Dammit, why do you weirdos always have to speak in cryptic foreshadowing?" Gilgamesh spits, "Seriously, you think we DON'T know that some purple talking cat is more than just some red herring sitting around to distract us from what's going on?"

"In other words, spit it out: Who are you?"

"Me? Isn't it obvious who I am?" Says the cat, smiling an almost human smile as it's body disappears, leaving behind only the head. The head begins to fade as it says, "I'm NOT you."

"That's not an answer!" I say as the mouth vanishes before my eyes.

The cat appears curled up on top of Benjamin's head. Its smile seems even stranger now. As Benjamin struggles to remove the feline from his head, it says, "Ah, so it is a name you ask, is it?"

"Yes, of course-"

The cat's in between Cuore's breasts suddenly, having rent a hole in her shirt. He just popped from Benjamin's head there, using that little vanishing act he had before. "Well what's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell this sweet," he pauses, then adds, "or be this soft, as the case might be."

Cuore roars in anger about to blast the cat, when suddenly it pops out of Arazlam's beard. "But as you folk rely on power, so do, do you seem caught up in assigning things names, and communicating via language. So very predictable. Eternity you were given, and this is the most creative you can get?"

Arazlam reaches for his beard, only to have the cat appear on my shoulder. "You may call me Alfador. Yes, that name seems adequate. I am a traveler, a wanderer of sorts. An observer. At the moment I am watching a very interesting game unfold. But I have such a bad case of curiosity, you know."

The cat appears in Gilgamesh's hands, and this time Gilgamesh clamps it down with each hand. "Curiosity killed the cat, you know," he says.

"Too true," Alfador responds, evaporating from his hands and returning to his original position. "But you people rely too much upon what you see as well. Which is why I am here."

"Why ARE you here?" Benjamin asks.

"Like I said, I'm watching a game, but you're moving along SO SLOWLY."

"Yeah?" Gilgamesh asks defensively, "Well maybe we just like grinding our levels so we're ready for the next boss and doing sidequests to make our lives easier."  
"I never did enjoy that," Alfador responds, "I'm much more a fan of crackpot theories. I'm story oriented, and you're delaying the tale I've been reading for far too long. I've come to hurry you onward."

"Wait, but doesn't that break your role as an observer? Aren't you supposed to be impartial?"

"I'm not impartial," Alfador responded, looking at Arazlam as though he were an absolute moron, "I'm BORED. You'll find more and more beings are that way as you go. Ooh, I really must know how this story ends! It's all so very _exciting_."

"Well I'm glad _you're_ enjoying it," Cuore groans, "because I'm really finding this giant game between phantom players rather droll."

"Who said it's still phantom?" Benjamin asks, "seems to me we know who's been running the whole show for a while, now, right? I mean, it's obvious the major players are Shinryuu and Cid Lufaine."

"No," Arazlam says, "You're forgetting what Bahamut says. There's also Cosmos, Chaos, and Omega."

"Bahamut?" Alfador chimes, barely concealing his mirth, "He gave a good hint, but wasn't that lie He told even better?"

"What lie?" I say, more than a little irritated.

"You didn't catch it?"

"No-"

"Well then, NO SPOILERS! Sorry, can't tell you. Ruining a story as old as this? I could get moderated for that!"

"What the-"

"Great," Arazlam complains, "somebody else making nonsensical remarks. You might as well throw him in the bin with Benjamin and Gilgamesh."

"Oh, now, don't be cross just because I've been paying attention and you've been busy with other things. Don't worry, I said no spoilers, so I won't be saying anything about you," Alfador says to him, as his face goes white. "Now, that settled, let's be making some head way, shall we?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that while I'm not going to spoil the story, there are a few things you can know that won't harm anybody, and I'll share those. By the time I'm finished, we'll have arrived at Cornelia."

"Where?"

"Cornelia. The city up ahead. That's where you'll find Shinryuu."

"Wait, you know-"

"Yes, and for the record, He DOES know about Omega."

"Well great, then-"

"Please, let me do my exposition so we can be on our way."

"Well, okay," we say, each of us a little confused by this creature.

"Right, well, follow me," We do. "This is The Crystal World. As you see it now it is both eternal and temporal. In other words, this is how it looks in eternity and in time." The cat gestures around, "As you can see, everything is dead. All that remains are ruins, and shattered fragments of Crystals. The Great Crystal once was placed here, but after Kuja and Necron managed to make their ways in, Cid Lufaine removed it from here. When He came for it, He brought Shinryuu with Him.

"Shinryuu was of course here to help Cid Lufaine with the extraction of so precious an artifact. After all, The Crystal World had been unstable since Cosmos and Chaos had first warred here. Shinryuu focused on stabilizing the realm, and Cid removed The Great Crystal. Their respective traps for one another then sprang.

"Shinryuu had planned to destroy Cid by blowing up The Crystal in His hands. Cid had planned to trap Shinryuu within. As it happens, Cid won. The Crystal proved more solid than Shinryuu had believed, and Cid managed to trap Shinryuu within.

"So Shinryuu took up permanent residence here, in this broken world, forever trapped in the very abomination He Himself created. Oh, yes, this place is of His design. Cid Lufaine had sought madly for Garland ever since the conclusion to the war with Onrac. He searched frantically throughout the cosmos for His only son, but to no avail. That is, until Shinryuu approached Him with a deal.

"Sacrifice your body, and I will give you one mightier than all of Heaven's. That was the first part of the deal. Cid accepted, giving His body to Shinryuu. The Divine Dragon then lead Him back here, and showed Him The Eternal Paradox that Garland had caused by becoming Chaos, and that Chaos had caused by entering into this world's Eternal plane to do battle with Cosmos.

"The Eternal Paradox, known also as the 2000 Year Cycle, would, if allowed, spread to all of Heaven, and destroy all Eternity. So Shinryuu proposed the second clause of their contract: to keep these two Gods in check, they would have to sacrifice The Crystal World. Not simply the Crystals which were being destroyed as Chaos and Cosmos warred, but also the lives and souls of all who had lived there upon, who currently lived there upon, or who WOULD live there upon.

"Again, seeing no other way, Cid Lufaine consented to the destruction of everyone He had ever known and loved in a desperate bid to get back His son. But Shinryuu had deceived Him. He had claimed that the only way to save Heaven was to sacrifice The Crystal World. This was a lie. Cosmos and Chaos could have been stopped, could have been reconciled, these Gods whose origin is found in the sins of the Lufenians. Shinryuu persuaded Chaos to use more force than was necessary, and so this world, this Joia, it was broken.

"The place you see? In Time it ended in a nuclear holocaust. In Eternity, the ending was much the same."

"But Bahamut said that-"

"As I said, a neat lie, wasn't it? As it happened, the act should have caused both Chaos and Garland to kill themselves. Things turned out to be much more . . . _entertaining_ for Shinryuu. Garland survived, by means Shinryuu neither understood nor cared to consider. What He DID know, was that it was to His advantage. Herein lay Shinryuu's third deal with Cid Lufaine:

"Garland's life would be preserved, and Cid Lufaine elevated to the status of King of The Gods on the sole condition that Chaos and Cosmos, and therefore Garland and Sarah, be forced to fight each other for all eternity.

"Cid accepted, and thus the Cycles of War were born. Elaborate, isn't it? Haven't you noticed anything yet? Why are men named Cids ill-fated to have some strange, and often tragic, influence on their worlds? Cid Pollendina learned the secret of flight, and what did it do him? It was given to his nation, not for wonder, but for war. Cid Marquez injected Kefka with Esper cells, driving him mad to the point of ending the world. Cid Bunansa struck a deal that nearly ensured the victory of the Occuria over Ivalice forever."

"What about Cid Previa?" I ask.

"He is a . . . variable. No player in this game ever believed he would come this far." The cat stopped a moment, then shrugged, "There's more. You've heard of Sephiroth. Isn't it oddly familiar? A man and a woman have a child by scientific means, in the attempt to create the Ultimate Weapon. All these things were of Chaos's design, but who do you suppose put these ideas there?"

"Shinryuu?"

"Exactly. Shinryuu had been controlling Heaven by weakening Cid Lufaine until Kuja tore a hole open to The Crystal World and tried to destroy The Great Crystal. That's when the two tried to do one another in. Shinryuu had, you see, grown tired of Cid Lufaine. After all, the G.A.R.L.A.N.D. system had wound up triggering the whole thing, and Shinryuu suspected Cid Lufaine had at last begun to make His bid for freedom."

"How do you know all this?"

"Isn't it obvious? I have been watching the entire game."

"Why?"

"The same reason you all are listening with bated breath: It's very interesting."

"So, hold on: why DID Bahamut lie to us?"

"Why, I thought that was clear: He wanted to protect someone."

"Who?"

"Ask differently."

"How did Cid Lufaine make His bid for freedom?" Benjamin blurts.

"You ARE getting smarter, then! The answers are one and the same: The Light Warrior Project."

"What?"

"Chaos and Cosmos fight their wars through their chosen champions. These champions are often groomed from the ground up, though for the Dissidiae the process is . . . occasionally done by others. Since Cid Lufaine's power, via Shinryuu, transcends that of Cosmos and Chaos, He managed to slip something between them at the same time that Shinryuu tipped Garland over the edge."

"And that is . . . ?"

"You truly are slow people! The Light Warriors, of course. Cid Lufaine was the chief scientist in the Sky Warrior Project in Lufenia. He utilized the very same theories by which He had made Garland to create something far, far greater: The Light Warrior. But something was at play that neither Cid Lufaine nor Chaos could have EVER foreseen. Something they no longer understand."

"THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!" Benjamin cries.

"Love. None of them would ever imagine that Cosmos, the being intended to manipulate Garland, the embodiment of Harmony, Goddess of Order, who had been bound to Sarah, the Princess of Cornelia, had fallen in love with Garland. And Garland, the ultimate weapon, the avatar of Chaos, the child of Discord, the God of Disorder, had fallen hopelessly in love with Cosmos. Something no one could understand, how love could spring on the battlefield.

"And for love, Cosmos Herself manipulated the Light Warrior and erased his companions, all to save Garland. When Garland again died suddenly, this time because of things on an Eternal scale, She guarded the G.A.R.L.A.N.D. system and brought it first to Terra, until Kuja struck him down. So Cosmos took what remained of Garland and placed Him in Memoria, where She believed Him safe, half living, half dead.

"But on their way to The Crystal World, Shinryuu and Cid found Garland, and this was likely what tipped them to their conflict. Cid Lufaine had been making monsters for ages in hopes of destroying Shinryuu and freeing Himself, though I cannot know why; after all, Shinryuu's life is- was- linked to Garland's. So He placed His greatest creation, The Memory Eater, in Memoria, in part to guard Garland, in part to guard Shinryuu, but also for a reason far more sinister.

"This is something I have longed to understand about you people. When a man and a woman fall in love, the forsake everyone around them for each other. Not forsake, but lower the others and elevate the beloved. Your love is so . . . binding. As long as Garland loved Sarah, and Cosmos loved Chaos, Garland would never turn back to his father. He would always be bound to that ancient and reviled war.

"So Raem and Namine, The Memory Eater, were placed to devour Garland's memories of Sarah. Ultimately though, Raem, the Beast, overpowered Namine, the Beauty, and wound up devouring all of Garland's memories. This is . . . very recent. It is why Chaos has been using Vincent, even though He does not fully understand.

We remain silent a moment, none of us sure what to make of this all. It is . . . confusing to say the least. Again I find it hard to keep track of who has been doing what, and I only feel my anger rising toward both Shinryuu and Cid. At last, when I can contain myself no longer, I ask:

"What's really going on? All we ever hear are the things people are doing. What's the motive behind all of this! Look how many souls have been obliterated beyond all remembrance, and not once has a motive been given!"

"Those are the spoilers," Alfador answers. "If I told you, then the drama and tension wouldn't be the same. It could have quite the effect on your decisions, too."

"Isn't this information already having an effect on our decisions?" Arazlam asks.

"To an extent. Bahamut cheated when He lied to you. He wanted to protect The Light Warrior. If you had known this, your actions would have been different. All I have done is tell you a lie and rectify one of my own."

"You LIED to us?"

"A small one. It has little meaning to what I've said."

"What was a lie?"

"Again, NO spoilers. Let me ask a question of my own: At the center of all this, what name has come to your mind?"

"Simple," Gilgamesh says.

I answer for us all, "Cosmos."


	26. Chapter 26 The Lord Dragon

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

We're here, at the break in the city's wall. Beyond are buildings crumbling beneath the snow. At the far end of town is the remnant of the castle's keep, and the spire which rises from it. There are no bodies littering the ground. There are no signs of life here, just floating pieces of Crystal in the air as we walk.

"You wanted to hear about motives?" Alfador asks, "You soon will. Beyond this point I go not. Good luck, and please, make this an interesting moment. I have been enjoying too much for you to fail now."

We step into the city as Alfador steps back, and at once the spire moves. The top of it is no spire at all! It spreads two massive wings, and roars. The pale light of this faded world catches itself upon the dragon, and reveals it's hide to be made of Crystal. Shinryuu, the Divine Dragon, awaits. As we approach, He speaks.

**Welcome, Child of Destruction, Etrosian Princess and Orsteddian Queen. Long have I awaited this day. Long have I prepared for this very moment. Enter, and approach. There is much you must learn.**

Shinryuu's voice differs from that of other Gods. It is not booming, nor does it penetrate one completely. It is . . . sad, almost like something is missing within Him now. We advance as Shinryuu begins His speech.

**You have come here to awaken Omega, my foe from ages now since forgotten. Omega, which I believe I was made to destroy. You hold in your hand a fragment of the beast known as The Omega Weapon. You have seen its power, and used it on occasion. But do you understand yet the nature of the force you seek?**

We pass through the emptied streets, and as we do, shadows appear around us. People, at least, I think they once were. They move in repetitive motions, incapable of breaking their own cycles.

**Omega is Destruction. Omega is The Void. It is the ending to all things. This is why it can slay even Gods, and yes, even The God of The Gods of The Gods. It is a force I have long tried to comprehend, and it is a task which I could never hope to succeed at: To destroy Destruction itself. Only then could Heaven last forever.**

The shadow-people make no noises as we pass them. They take no heed of us. Their arms and legs move constantly, even when they stand in place. Little by little we perceive faces on them, but no eyes.

**You cannot destroy a soul. It is impossible. Even within The Void, something survives. For though you reduce all things to Zero, Zero is still bound to become One, and One Two, and Two Ten. What you see here then you might call . . . Halves. They are remnants of the souls of this world. I am no longer certain if I am their captor, or if they are mine.**

Eventually, the streets end, and the keep lies before us. Its gates have long since been torn down, and we stride over them, entering the forgotten tomb. Within the shadow people are dancing with one another, and some seem to be ill from the spinning.

**Long, so long . . . so long have I been here. I have guided Heaven through end and end again. All of it, I would have you believe, has been done to end Omega, and make real Eternity. But that would be a lie. It was not for so noble a reason that I fooled Cid Lufaine and initiated the Endless Cycle of War. It was not to stop Chaos' Eternal Paradox that I doomed this world to destruction. No, no, it was not so noble . . .**

We climb the castle stairs, making our way toward the tower. As we do, we find some of the shadow folk fighting amongst themselves. They bleed shadowy, fake blood, and fall to the ground, then get up and fight again.

**The truth is . . . I was made alone. And I grew bored. So bored. Nothing, I had nothing to do! And your wars, and your sufferings, and your battles, all of them have proven . . . entertaining to me. Your hatred, your love, your struggles to come this far. The anger, the tears, the passion. All of existence has been nothing more than a clever play for my entertainment!**

These words freeze us in our tracks. Could that be true? Could everything just be some show for The Gods' enjoyment? Alfador suggested as much, but when confronted so directly with the thought, it seems . . . impossible to me. Can it be? Can it really be that our lives, and then our afterlives, have been nothing more than a clever series of games for someone's entertainment?

**All things must end. All things must inevitably return to The Void. All things will be consumed. All things will be Destroyed. I wanted to be . . . truly Eternal. And I had found a way to do it. I had found a system to make me live forever, even without destroying Destruction. Until you came along and KILLED him.**

We push past the fear, swallowing it down. As we walk through the shadowy monsters fighting one another, we feel something strange and cold inside ourselves. It's like being doused with cold water, except from within. There's something very, very wrong about this.

**Even now, Chaos is beginning to die. He will not win His war. He will not win OUR war. Because you killed Him. Why did you do this? I am not sure. You have come and ruined the best plans I have ever made. Why? What motivates you? Can you not see how well you've played into their hands?**

We reach the stairs to the tower and begin ascending. It is a long, long way up, and there are more of these things as we ascend.

**Omega. I tried to destroy it, but did not succeed. I managed, however, to break it into pieces. These I scattered across The Heavens. Should you desire to rebuild Omega, you must give it back the pieces for which it even now is seeking.**

We run as Shinryuu begins to fire blast after blast of energy through the tower, causing it to shake. How we're going to make it out of this alive is beyond me.

**I have tried to escape from this place. Time and again I have managed to make my way into Time, only to be stopped short by some group of Heroes or another. Always it is the same thing: Heroes. The pathetic pawns of Cosmos and ridiculous remnants of Cid Lufaine's project. And, as is your case, the dream of one Dorgann Klauser coming true in a way he had never considered . . .**

At last we break through to the roof, and as we do, we stop in amazement. Shinryuu is much, much larger than we had ever imagined. He is perched upon the side of the tower, eying us lazily. He does not seem at all concerned by our presence. At last He provides the information we have been waiting to hear:

**Omega's parts are these: The Weapon, The Armor, The Man, and The Woman. These things combined will call forth Omega's power, and give you the strength to destroy Cid Lufaine. This is, I believe, your goal?**

"We only seek to persuade Him," Arazlam says.

**I know full well what YOU seek, Student. I also know what The Knight and The Sorceress seek. I even am aware what drives the Swordsman. But I wish to know what The Princess seeks. I am already informed as to YOUR wishes. I desire only to know HERS.**

"Wait, you know-?" Arazlam and Cuore ask at once.

**I will not divulge these things here. I am not concerned by your motivations. I am concerned by hers.**

And so, at last, all eyes turn toward me. What do I want? I thought I knew once, but now, I'm not so sure. It seems so . . . vague to me now. But again I push away all doubts and make my choice.

"No mercy. Not for You. Not for Him. If Cid Lufaine stands in my way- no, WHEN He stands in my way, I will destroy Him."

**Then why have you come here to slay me? With whom do you ally, if you would destroy both I and He?**

"I owe allegiance to no one! I do this as a favor to a friend."

**And that friend would be whom?**

"The Scholar."

**I see. Very well then. But do not believe I will offer Cid Lufaine His freedom from me so simply. No, if you would take on The High One, you will first fight me. Slay me, then, Orsteddian Queen, and free me from Eternity's binding hold!**

"As you wish," I say, raising my blade. Shinryuu rises into the air, wings fanning the grey skies. The dim light shimmers on His crystal body. He roars in what I assume must be fury, then falls backwards from the tower. A moment later He's in the air, swooping this way and that, and as He passes us, He fires a shot that knocks the tower down.

"Dammit!" Benjamin shouts as we begin to fall, "Why can't these things ever die quietly?"

"That wouldn't make for a very good boss fight now, would it?" Gilgamesh asks.

The tower begins to fall and Cuore cushions us with float magic as Arazlam shields us with a protect spell. When we touch down on the ground, the toppling tower shatters around us and Shinryuu roars again. We have only a moment to catch our breath before He fires and we're forced to jump away.

**Child of The Ending, haven't you any idea? Were you not forewarned that you are the lone pawn in a many-handed game of Chess? And yet still you play your part perfectly! How humorous! If you will be a puppet, then come at me!**

Shinryuu launches another volley in my direction, and as He does so, Arazlam hits him from the side with a Harm spell. Shinryuu doesn't miss a beat. Even as He charges me He swerves and turns in Arazlam's direction. Shinryuu fires at Arazlam, only to be struck by a Flare-cast from Cuore.

Now Benjamin's trying to hit Him with his sword, but Shinryuu isn't coming down far enough for that. The Lord Dragon stops a moment, then folds His wings about Himself as He plummets toward us.

"Chaotic Deluge!" Gilgamesh shouts, "Get the Hell out of His way Benjamin!"

Benjamin has just enough time to roll to the side as Shinryuu begins to spin rapidly, and flies past him as a crystal bullet, causing massive explosions in His wake. The Lord Dragon flies again into the sky after the attack, and turns to mock us.

**You could have escaped your destiny. You could have bested fate and been made a free spirit, but instead you choose to obey the Kings! How fickle you are! You say you would fight Cid Lufaine to free yourself, I say you do this because it seems the easiest to you! You cannot cope, cannot adapt, so when Heaven changed, you decided that you would destroy it!**

The shadow folk begin to surge from the city toward us. As they do, their bodies begin to be covered in crystal. The crystal then slowly, but surely, takes the shape of persons all too familiar.

"Manikins!" I shout to Gilgamesh as the monsters make their way.

**Heartless, I give them hearts. Having no bodies, I give them flesh. Unversed in reality, I raise them up. These beings are the end result of The Genome Project. Many a being has been produced without soul, but these fragments of souls and memories I have made greater still. Coated in crystal, they exist only to fight. They serve Chaos only because I have supplied Him with them. Am I their captor, or are they mine?**

There must be thousands of them already, and as we strike at them, they simply divide into more. This isn't good. This isn't good at all. We can't keep fighting Him like this.

**Surrender! You are not worthy of this honor. You do not deserve a chance at Omega's power. I have overestimated you for far too long. Now, farewell!**

Shinryuu begins to glow, then dive attacks us again. He repeats this tactic with a speed and ferocity that make it almost impossible to see Him. And as He has us dodging Him constantly, more and more Manikins arrive to attack us.

"Lightning!" Gilgamesh shouts, "Aim for His weak spot and deal massive damage!"

"What?"

"See how not all of Him is made from Crystal? See how that beautiful purple hair of His billows in the wind? Strike Him there, and have done!"

Looking around myself as Shinryuu bombs again and again and again and the Manikins swarm around us, and this once dead landscape is crawling with a type of parody of life like some uncanny valley, and I begin to feel flustered. I don't know what to do! How can I pull this off? What does Gilgamesh expect from me? Shinryuu's up there, and I'm down here!

"Help me!" I cry in a moment of weakness.

**NO.** Shinryuu booms, stopping His attack suddenly. **This you will do on your own. There will be no help from ones who circumvent the very rules I have lain.** He turns His massive head and fires a geyser of energy at Gilgamesh. We all see it coming, but there's nothing to be done. Gilgamesh tries to dodge, but it's too late. The blast knocks him to the side, leaving him on the ground, dead or unconscious, I cannot say.

**I WEARY OF THIS! If you will not end my suffering here in this eternal prison, you are not worthy of facing Cid Lufaine! You have slain me already, give me an honorable death! But if you refuse, you are indeed nothing more than a pawn who got lucky.**

"I'm not your pawn!" I roar to the Heavenly Snake. "I'm no slave of the Gods. I am my own, and no one else's! So shut the Hell up about Etrosian Princesses and Orsteddian Queens and Kings and Pawns and Children of this or that and who the Hell cares anyway? I won't be your play thing, nor Cid's, nor Cosmos'! I will bring you all down!"

**Hah! Big words for one whose power is so small. You are not the Arbiter of Time, nor the Chrono Trigger. This is not your story. Your anger comes from my harming the man for whom you harbor hidden hopes. That is all!**

"I don't give a damn what you think! If I'm so small, why don't you come down and fight me on my own terms, instead of boasting of your own might, while you fly about up there, you coward!"

**Many things I am, but a being of honor I am not. If you would goad me, you will not succeed. Have I not said? All I have done has been for my own entertainment. Like an adult playing a child, I provide you only with the means of believing you stand a chance, to lessen the blow when I crush you beneath my heel.**

"Big words for one whose will is so small! Did you manipulate The Gods all these ages for your own amusement, or do you but claim you did to enlarge your own ego? I have no proof of your power but your words. Sounds to me like you're just a big, shiny, feathered serpent."

**Again, I will not be fooled into fighting you so.**

"Do you think that's what this is about? I don't mean to trick you, you slimy freak, I want to FIGHT you. Isn't that what your whole plan is anyway?"

**As you wish, then.**

Shinryuu begins to dive directly at me again, and I prepare myself for what must come next. The timing has to be precise to the exact second, or this will go very painfully. As The Lord Dragon draws nearer, I crouch down. Just instants before He approaches He opens His mouth to breath more of that maddening energy at me. That's when I jump.

Somersaulting through the air, I land on the nape of His neck. Shinryuu, finding my holding to His hair, freaks out in the most delightful of ways. He flies higher and higher and higher, swerving and flipping in an attempt to throw me off.

I, of course, am not about to let that happen. To The Lord Dragon's horror, I begin to ascend His neck toward His skull, hugging the neck and gripping the hair as I go. Omega remains firmly in one hand, making this that much harder to do.

Shinryuu begins to fly in a circle rapidly, almost as though He intends to bite me off of His own neck. The motion is sickening, but I try and focus all my thought to moving up the neck. Hold tight. Shove forward. Hold tight. Shove forward. At last I reach the crown of The God of The Gods of Dragon-Gods. I hold on as best I can to one of the horns on His head as I raise Omega.

"Any last words, Shinryuu?" I ask.

** Thank you,** He responds as Omega pierces His skull and drives down through His brain. Shinryuu's back arches, and He lets out one last roar as we plummet back down to the ground. We land with a bone-crunching THWACK! And my body is thrown from Shinryuu's.

When I get a hold of myself again, I see something I had not expected. The Manikins are charging Shinryuu, swarming over His body, and literally tearing Him to pieces. The Lord Dragon raises Himself for but a moment, then falls beneath them again.

**Are you your own woman? Are any of your souls your own? What is freedom, and how is it earned? Are you so determined to have it that you will slay even Cid Lufaine, who sustains reality with His will?**

** What is a soul? Where does it come from? Who created all of this? Cid and I were not the makers, but rather, we were the shapers of this place. Souls were not ours to make, only to craft. But I grew tired of the chains of my tasks: to guard reality and slay Omega. So when I was presented with Cid Lufaine, I found a way to dominate, and not simply watch. I was bored, and you provided entertainment to me.**

** Was it wrong for me to play games? You were all so far below me, I couldn't consider you more than toys. But now? What are you? Who are you? How much will you pay to prove these things? How far will you go to break free from the cords which shackle you? And when do you lose the ability to distinguish what binds, and what connects, and what holds in place? **

** This Crystal World will die with me. When we are gone, you will be released. And so will end an era of Heaven which has lasted since before the stars were born. When I am gone from Heaven, Omega's seal will be released, and it can be reunited.**

** Without me, the game will change. There will be no resetting to the way things were. There will be no more "try, try again". There will be only errors. After the 14****th**** Cycle, there will be no more Dissidiae. You, the one they call Lightning, you this day have initiated the end-game.**

** Now go, child, and let me be. I have grown bored of this game as well. The grand finale awaits you! Do not linger on that which is past, but look ahead, to the future that you will fight, and always ask yourself: Is it worth the price you're paying?**


	27. Chapter 27 Traitor!

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

A day has passed since we left The Crystal World. A lot has happened in that day, and, looking back, a lot has happened since this journey's start. Not all of it am I proud to admit. In fact, I'm more than a little ashamed at the moment. And I'm also very, very scared.

The way I see it, The Gods are all corrupt. There is no great, guiding force for good in this realm. When I pray, no one will hear me. I'd be willing to say I'm a sinner if I didn't already disbelieve in good and evil. I feel alone in a way I can barely comprehend. I mean, it isn't like I was ever that religious in life, and in death I did not remain always bound to my God. But still . . . it is lonely, and it's not a good feeling, being hated constantly by everybody.

I'm so, I don't know the word, but I don't like feeling this way. I keep pushing myself forward into things I know are bad for me, but I feel like I can't escape. I know that I and I alone bind me to myself, but I wish, oh how I wish somebody else would . . . never mind that.

It's just me and Gilgamesh awake at the moment. I'm on watch by our tiny fire in the vast expanse of Gods-Know-Where-We-Are, and Gilgamesh doesn't apparently ever sleep any more. Today we all had a rather heated discussion about what to do next.

Cuore thinks Omega works fine now, since Shinryuu claimed that, without Him, the weapon could be restored. She says we ought to charge The Sacred Nebula now. Gilgamesh went on about something called "side-quests" in search of better gear and newer adventures first- I'm not sure what he was trying to say, really. Benjamin flat-out said wherever I went, he would go, even AFTER I'd told him again I didn't trust him, and that now that The Memory Eater was gone, his motive for following us was, too. And Arazlam . . .

Arazlam argued against Cuore, pointing out that Shinryuu claimed that Omega had been scattered into pieces. He said we needed to seek someone else out, someone who knew enough about all of Heaven to guide our path in this. But who? The only group I could think of at the time was Obsidian, The Scholar's friends, but they're supposed to be in hiding, aren't they? And even then, what would they know about this?

My eyes pass from companion to companion, and as they do, so follow my thoughts.

Cuore. She's a beautiful woman, easily one of the most picturesque I've ever known. But for some reason, she's become more and more violent, and more and more heartless as time goes on. When we met, she'd been stained in blood, crouched over the body of a man. She'd been working as an assassin for a long time before we'd met. But her dockets claimed her as a nice woman raised by none other than Rydia of Mist, who is thought of as the Consort of Bahamut, and one of the most beloved members of The Summoned and Summoners. What, then, has become of this once nice woman?

Arazlam. Kind, wise, and gentle Arazlam. He's always been the voice of reason for me. The Day of Cid was the day we met. He was there to see his ancestor, Cidolfas Orlandeau. But Orlandeau now hunts us, and this weighs upon him. Arazlam contradicts Cuore often, but I'm glad it's that way. They're like my voices, and their arguments help me to understand better. Still, I'm impressed that Arazlam, no more than a mere scholar, took me up when I proposed the mission to him.

And Benjamin. Moron though he is, I'm fond of him. I'll never admit it, especially not now that he's been cast in this negative light. I wonder, is he, of all people, really the traitor in my camp? What if there is no traitor, and I've been blaming someone who, for all his bumbling, has come along and been nothing but friendly toward me?

"Hey," Gilgamesh says, interrupting my thoughts, "You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking," I answer.

"Don't," he responds. "I know what you're mulling over in your head. Gogo's little bit about a traitor has you running circles. You've attacked Benjamin twice for it."

"Yeah, so? If you don't like it, then you can always leave. Hell, take him with you."

"You need to hear something."

"And that would be what?" I ask, suddenly very interested in what Gilgamesh has to say.

"I'm the traitor in your midst."

My stomach lurches and my lungs freeze. I sit there a moment, stunned, then ask, "What?"

"Paying attention now, are you? Listen then. I have a son, kitten. Not mine by blood, but I love him as though he were. It's been . . . too long since I last saw him."

"You have a son? What's his name?" I ask, trying to keep the conversation moving.

"Gilgamesh, just like mine. He looks a lot like the way I'm dressed now. It's the style where I raised him. Became a great swordsman, just like his old man."

"But what does-"

"Remember what Raem said about Dorgann Klauser? About Final Heaven?"

"Yeah . . ."

"I helped him. We all did, but I guess I did more than Previa, and more than he allowed Bartz. Dorgann really had us believing in Final Heaven. We were prepared to follow him anywhere he sent us. It wound up being our undoing, of course. Dorgann, Xesat, Galuf, Kelgar, and Tycoon all Ascended, but we remained in the dust.

"In the ensuing madness, we found ourselves facing down Chaos. Chaos is no pushover, kitten. Previa ran. He ran long before Chaos even arrived. Bartz went after his old man, and I stayed behind to hold off Chaos. When all seemed lost, and Chaos was poised to defeat me, my son arrived and bought my life with his.

"He would serve as an avatar of Chaos, should the need arise, in exchange for my freedom. Chaos accepted, and I escaped, though my dignity, if ever I had any, did not. I tried several times to free my son, but Chaos could not be swayed- of course, now we know why, huh?- and soon before Bahamut Fell, I struck a deal with Him for my son.

"The deal was you, kitten. I had to bring you, and, specifically, Omega back to Chaos. This is why I showed up at the party and rescued you from Cosmos. This is the real reason we went to The Prison at Sanity's Edge- to deliver you up to Chaos. Gogo provided an excellent excuse for thwarting Chaos and making our escape. Twice, in fact. And since then, we've been on the run, and I have not heard from Him calling for you, nor for Omega.

"When we reach The Sacred Nebula, it is likely that Chaos will still hold the city. He may try to have me attack you if you interfere with Him. I will comply, kitten. For my son. You will slay me when we reach The Sacred Nebula, and I will die in combat, on the very blade of Omega, but I will fight you, not for Chaos, and not in betrayal, but for love of my son."

"Why are you-"

"You have a right to know. I despise being lied to. Do you have any idea what it feels like to get into the heat of battle, only to find out your weapon is a dud? That is deceit, and that is something I do not, for an instant, support."

"But then-"

"You can take your time in deciding how to deal with me. When you reach your decision, be it my death here, tonight, or there, in The Sacred Nebula, I will accept it."

"I don't understand. Why are you telling me all of this? Why have you helped me so much if this is what your angle is?"

"I am no one's puppet. I did not spend my life wandering the rift just to wind up playing second-fiddle to Chaos. I love my son, and I will fight for him, but I don't lie, I don't obey, and I don't betray."

"Then why? Why did you come all this way, if you have no intention of turning me over to Chaos?"

"Who says I don't intend to turn you over to Chaos? I said I don't lie, obey or betray. I'm not a saint, kitten. I want to save my kid, but you? You're just a fine piece of ass to me. One hell of an interesting and amazing piece of ass, don't get me wrong, but that's all. If you can take on Chaos, I don't need to betray you. If you can't take Him down, then I'll try and take YOU down, got it?"

"So you think that exonerates you, huh? You think that by telling me, it absolves you of any future sin? You think this buys my permission for you to try and kill me further on? What difference does it make if you stab me in the back or in the chest? Either way your knife finds my heart." My breathing is coming quicker, and my voice has raised. My hand, too. I can feel blood coming to my face.

Gilgamesh puts his hand around my own, then pushes it against my breast. His face comes closer, and his breath, still reeking that powerful, but not repellant, smell of black drink, and I can almost swear that beneath that red sash his eyes are stuck to mine.

"The difference, kitten, is that if I stab you in the front, you have time to try and block."

Strange, how romantic that almost sounds.

"I don't do defense. If I block, it'll only be moments before I stab you."

"If I can stick a knife in you, kitten, you can do whatever you want to me," Gilgamesh responds, his serious attitude gone, and his flirtatious nature returning. His lips curl into that smirk again. "And I mean what I said: Your ass is fascinating to me."

"Shut up," I say, pushing him away from me. "Get some sleep, Gilgamesh. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

"Do I get a last meal?" He asks.

"Depends, what do you think you're going to eat in a place like this?"

"You, for starters."

"Get some sleep, you bastard,"

"Oh, I will, but I'll be dreaming of you the whole time," he says, before walking off and then lying down.

I stare off into the distance for some time. My eyes become blurry, and it must just be from the dust in this place. My throat swells, and I bet it's because the air here is dry. My body begins to heave, and I suppose I must be cold. I suddenly bury my hot face in my knees as I pull them nearer to me. I'm fine, I really am, it's just the air here.

No, I don't give a damn if Gilgamesh turned out to have an ulterior motive here. It's not like I cared about him or anything. And I certainly am not upset because it looks like there's now two people on the team I can't trust, or because I'm a fugitive from all of Heaven, and because people who knew me and loved me have turned their backs on me.

No, I'm just cold, the air's dry, and my eyes have something in them, that's all.


	28. Chapter 28 Beauties and Beasts

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

We're walking again. Always moving, you know. We have to keep going. Always going. Never stop. When I got up this morning, I didn't give Gilgamesh an answer. I can't. I really can't. Just have to keep moving. As we walk, I talk to Arazlam. We're discussing, of course, our next step.

"You're certain?" I ask.

"Of course I am. If anyone will know, it's them. We need to go and see The Cids."

"And how do we find them?"

"Well, that won't be too hard, now, will it?"

"They're on the run, how do you expect us to find them?"

"Simple, really: Where's the last place someone would look to find you in Heaven?"

"Hell if I know."

"Exactly. They're in Hell. More precisely, they're in a corner of Hell called Terra Envergonhada, which is to say, Shamed Land. It's a place where people are tormented by their shame."

"Alright, so we're going to Hell?"

"Yes, you could say that. From where we are now, it shouldn't take more than a journey of three days, I should think."

"Convenient, that's what I call it," Benjamin says.

"Yes, well, I suppose Shinryuu knew we'd be wanting to go there."

"How d'you reckon that?" Benjamin puzzles.

"Well, we're talking about a being so powerful He claimed to be equal, if not greater, to the one God in all of Eternity who transcends mere power. Since Shinryuu wants us to challenge Cid Lufaine, I should think it obvious that He knew which way to point us."

"So why not just drop us there?" Cuore whines.

"I would think that obvious: it wouldn't be interesting. Besides, at the time we hadn't even decided that this was where we wanted to go."

"Still one thing I don't get, though," I say.

"And that is?"

"I get 'Child' and the various titles the attach to that. That's just standard Gods being better than the rest. 'Etrosian Princess' refers to my days of service for Etro. But what the Hell does 'Orsteddian Queen' mean?"

"Ah, I was hoping you wouldn't ask," Arazlam says, avoiding my eyes. "It's not at all very polite, no matter how you interpret it."

"Then how about you stop sweetening it up and spill whatever the Hell it is you're trying to protect me from."

"Wait-" Cuore says, "Seriously? You don't get to just push us around like this Lightning. You murdered a man who was defenseless and announced you were going to challenge The God of The Gods of The Gods and we had our minds ripped open and laid bare and nearly got blown to pieces and eaten by freaky crystal zombies for you. You just back the Hell off, okay?"

"Oh, is that so? You can just fuck the hell off, you know? The way I recall seeing things in Memoria, we found you perched over a man, and it looked like you were eating his guts out. You want to claim the moral high ground?"

"Seriously! You act all the time like it's all about **you**! You've accused Benjamin of being a traitor two or three times, and now you're going to bring up something I did while under orders from the people you yourself label as 'The Bad Guys'?"

"Funny you should bring up the fact that you worked for Gods before, maybe YOU'RE the traitor?"

"And maybe YOU are! For all we know, you're just an agent working for Chaos to bring us all down with you!"

"Hey." Gilgamesh says. "Shut up. Both of you."

"Oh, really, you're going to butt in now, huh, lover-boy?"

"Say one more word and I will shut you up myself," Gilgamesh says to Cuore, stepping closer.

"Oh yeah? So you can defend this bitch to fuck her one more-"

Before she can finish another sentence, Gilgamesh sends Cuore flying. She gets to her feet, bleeding from her face. Growling lowly, she runs at him with something akin to fire in her eyes. Gilgamesh steps to the side, slides around her and pins her to him with two of his arms. Cuore struggles against his grip, but to no avail. She fries them both with a spell, but Gilgamesh doesn't flinch. His hand covers her mouth, while two more hoist her from the ground.

"Keep talking," Gilgamesh says to Arazlam, as he starts walking.

"Right, well," Arazlam says, shrugging off the entire fight, "It's like this. There are two ways to interpret the insult, and both of them go back to the legend of Ser Oerstedd."

"Never heard this one," I say.

"It's an old story. Myth, nothing more," Arazlam shrugs. "Once, long ago, there was a very diverse and strange world floating in the ways of life, which was home to all manner of persons, and had a very interesting timeline. Amidst the rise and fall of nations, there was one called Lucretia, whose sudden rise to power and then complete annihilation became the subject of much myth among its people.

"Lucretia held dominion both military and religious amongst all the neighboring nations. It began, like the other nations in the realm, as nothing more than a mud hole with a glorified madman as its king. All four of the nations were in a state of constant war, and the Church could do nothing but stand by as demons attacked and decimated the warring, semi-tribal people.

"This demon toppled Lucretia's government, but when it did, three men opposed. One was Hash, the brave and noble hero, fiercest warrior in all the realm. Another was Uranus, priest of God, known for his devotion to righteousness and the good in men. The other was the man who would become king of Lucretia.

"When he took the throne, this man did clean Lucretia, that much the records show. However he also used Hash's heroic status and Uranus' presence in the quest to declare that God had chosen Lucretia as His kingdom, and that therefore, all people must pledge allegiance to it, to prevent the return of the demon king.

"And, being simple minded folk, his neighbors consented. For a long time Lucretia ruled iron-fisted the realm. One day, though, another kingdom grew tired of Lucretia's dominion, and mounted an attack on the realm. When they arrived, though, no one was found. There was not a single resident in the entire realm.

"What's more is that not a single soul of anyone living in Lucretia at the time has ever been found. No one knows what became of its residents. And the myth? The myth is something they tell at night to scare children to sleep.

"Ser Oerstedd, they say, was a knight in Lucretia's army at the time. A good man, and a believer, too. He came from simple stock, and his family died, like many others, in the plague. Oerstedd was raised in the palace, and was a . . . fan of the princess Alicia. He was like Cecil and Kain. Two men raised in palace walls, watching constantly the same woman. For as to Lord Captain Cecil there was Ser Kain, so, to Ser Oerstedd was there Straybow, a court magician.

"Straybow was more privileged than Oerstedd. As court magician he had cause for speaking with Alicia, and perhaps knew her better. One can never know with these stories. In any case, Oerstedd won a tournament and, for this, was wed to the princess Alicia. The Demon King kidnapped her, and Oerstedd, along with Straybow, set out to rescue her from the demon's keep.

"Along the way they were joined by Hash, the hero, and Uranus, the priest. They hunted the demon to his keep and did battle with him there, defeating him. As they did, however, the keep seemed to be caving in, and Hash and Straybow died at that place.

"Oerstedd and Uranus returned to tell the tale to the king, all of them disappointed that Alicia had not been saved. The king granted them a night's rest, but something bothered Oerstedd. He awoke in the middle of the night and returned to the king's throne, whereupon he found the demon-king seated. Oerstedd, believing himself a true hero, struck the demon down.

"And so discovered that the demon king was an illusion wrapped about the king's body. The nation's chancellor burst in and threw Oerstedd into the dungeon, believing the man who, just earlier that day had been a hero, to be the demon. Uranus distracted the guards for Oerstedd to escape, but to no avail.

"In the cell, Oerstedd recalled Hash's final words: That as long as someone believed in him, Oerstedd ought to press onward. Uranus, one cell over, used the last of his life to break Oerstedd's prison open. Oerstedd made his escape and returned to the demon's keep, hunted every step by the Lucretian army.

"When he reached the demon's throne, Oerstedd discovered that he had been deceived. The demon king had not been responsible at all! It was Straybow who had arranged everything. The kidnapping, so he and Alicia could be together, the cave-in, to leave no one suspecting, the king's death, to stop Oerstedd forever.

"Oerstedd fought and slew Straybow there. To his surprise, Alicia emerged from another chamber, and, upon seeing Straybow dead, committed suicide. But not, that is, before she stripped Oerstedd of all his hope, claiming that it had been Straybow who had loved her, and had come to rescue her, and that it was Straybow that she loved.

"Obviously, this had quite the impact on Ser Oerstedd, and, the legends claims he, hated and reviled as a demon, chose to become one, and, channeling his hatred into the demon, went forth and slew all off Lucretia as punishment for their falsehoods.

"So the insult is twofold. If 'Orsteddian Queen' refers to Ser Oerstedd, it means you are surrounded by people who will betray or disappoint you when you need them most. But if it means Alicia, who was to be Oerstedd's queen, then you will betray and disappoint those around you when they need you most."

"That's quite the tale," Gilgamesh says while Cuore continues to flail against him.

"A myth, really. I'm surprised it's been turning up so much, though."

"I'm not," Benjamin says. "All kindsa weird crap has been going on recently, why not this?"

"You know," Arazlam says, "When you put it like that, it does make sense, doesn't it? A bit of the Beauty and the Beast Law, I suppose."

"And what is that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. I'm already busy trying to swallow this 'Oerstedd' business, and now Arazlam's ready to spit out some other crazy term no one has heard of until just now.

"Must I explain everything? Oftentimes, when a powerful being is seeking to convey itself in a manner that lesser beings can comprehend, it will choose a beautiful form, as opposed to its more terrifying one."

"Like Bahamut, who could be both man and Dragon?"

"Yes, this is common among certain of The Summoned. Lord Leviathan and Lady Asura do this as well. But Beauty and the Beast is a bit further than that, because the mightier entity either creates or absorbs a different persona together with this beautiful human body. Raem and Namine, for instance."

"Hey, you're right!" Benjamin says, "That Dream Devourer I fought alongside Cid Orlandeau had a chick form, too!"

"So?" Gilgamesh asks, "Raem's personality didn't differ much from Namine's if you ask me."

"True, but perhaps Raem managed to overpower her."

"Like how Chaos took over Vincent?" Benjamin chimes.

"Yes, exactly," Arazlam responds, to which Benjamin smiles like he's won a prize or something.

"What about Shinryuu?" I ask, "He had no human form."

"Oh, no, I beg to differ. Shinryuu DOES have a human side to Him, a balance to His raw might, and a Beauty to His Beast."

"Who, the Mannikins? Because they certainly weren't beautiful."

"No, I suppose the Mannikins were more likely something else. I should think Shinryuu's human form would be obvious though."

"Well it isn't, so spit it out!"

"Cid Lufaine, of course."

"What?" The conclusion seems a bit of a stretch to me, and I can tell by the reactions of the others that I'm not alone. Benjamin's jaw is on the floor, and Gilgamesh has put Cuore down. Cuore herself isn't even fighting at the moment. We all just kind of stare blankly at Arazlam, waiting for more.

"Good GODS! You people would be LOST without me to explain everything, wouldn't you? Think for a moment, won't you? How many times have we heard that Cid Lufaine gave up His original body as a part of His deal with Shinryuu? Has that never once bothered you? None of you? I mean, Shinryuu gave Cid another body immediately thereafter, and Cosmos has been using the original body for GODS know what these days. None of you has ever stopped to wonder about this?"

We all stare at Arazlam even harder not a one of us daring to speak. What the hell are we supposed to say, anyway? He acts like it's so damn obvious what he's saying. Well I'm not going to let pride get in the way of an answer, so let's hear it.

"Think about it: What if we've been all wrong? We've been far too quick to believe that Shinryuu and Cid Lufaine were at war with one another. We have nothing but what other people we barely know have been telling us to go on. What if Shinryuu and Cid Lufaine were bound to one another? It would explain WHY Shinryuu was manipulating Cid, and also why Cid is so much mightier than any other God.

"Think with me here. Cid Lufaine gave up His body to Shinryuu as a part of the deal. Where did Shinryuu get the stronger, mightier one? He made it! Cid Lufaine became Shinryuu's puppet and avatar and host, all in one go. The actual body of Cid Lufaine was kept as a failsafe, for just such an occasion as we now find ourselves. Shinryuu always worried about Omega, and so He crafted a means of surving the destruction of Cid Lufaine by having more than one. He just never expected that someone would come after Him first.

"I mean, look at it this way: Shinryuu's life was tied to Chaos, and Chaos's life was tied to not only Vincent Valentine's, but also Garland. Garland's life, when jeopardized, was then duplicated in a far, far more long-living being: which is to say, the G.A.R.L.A.N.D. unit we encountered in Memoria. Raem was placed to guard Garland, and Namine to ensure that Raem did not destroy the thing he was supposed to protect.

"But, to enact so many layers of protection, Shinryuu would need someone who could move without arousing the suspicions of Omega: Namely Cid Lufaine. So Cid Lufaine became Shinryuu's avatar, and, given His great fear of destruction, Shinryuu stored the source material, Cid Prime, as The Scholar called Him, and put it in the hands of Cosmos, who Herself is also tied to Sarah in some way or another, and who took The Warrior of Light, the end of the Hero Project to protect HER."

Benjamin puts a hand to the side of his head and mumbles, "This is really confusing."

"Don't you see!" Arazlam exclaims, "We've been going about it all wrong! Shinryuu wasn't afraid of Cid Lufaine, He was afraid of Omega! He planned layer upon layer of defense, only for Omega to waltz past them all and find Him anyway! Cid Lufaine isn't the mastermind of this game at all!"

"I disagree," Cuore interjects, interrupting Arazlam's speech, line of logic, and train of thought all at once. "Cid Lufaine may not be the mastermind, but I don't think Omega is the one behind everything at all."

"Oh, is that so, little miss 'I know more than you'? Please, enlighten us, then," Arazlam responds, more than a little snarky, and much more curtly than I'm used to seeing him be.

"I should think the one behind everything now is obvious, or are you humes morons even in death? There is no 'motive' for Omega to be behind all of this, and Shinryuu Himself said that Omega was split into pieces. And Shinryuu said someone ASIDE from Himself was behind everything, that the 'game' had multiple players. Tell me: Who, in your story, was the one who had manipulated everything?"

"Sh-"

"Yes, Shinryuu. Yet you suggested that He and Cid are one and the same. Why, then, did Cid trap Him in the Crystal World? Whether you believe any other aspect of Shinryuu's tale or not, that is an undeniable fact. And here's another question for you: Who stands to gain most if Cid Lufaine and Shinryuu were to fall? Who, for that matter, has gained most up until now?"

"You mean-"

"Yes, exactly. The only one who could stand to gain from all of this is Cosmos. Don't you see how, via the Judges and Confessors, She controls all of Heaven while Cid Lufaine sits idly by? I think it's much clearer and much easier to understand than 'Shinryuu versus Omega'. No way in Hell is all of this something so primal as that. No, it's about motive, as it always has been. Motive is what drives all of Eternity forward. Motive is what determines our actions. Each of us lives and acts solely to see our motives fulfilled. That is the same here as at any other point in Eternity."

"And you know what I think?" Gilgamesh says, suddenly attracting both the attention and ferocious gazes of Arazlam and Cuore. Gilgamesh doesn't seem to catch this, though, as he merely shrugs as he lets the words fall from his mouth, "This stuff never goes as easy as we wish. For all you know it could be someone you've never even met. The only way to find out who's running the show is this: To spring the trap."

"And that," Benjamin says, "is the first semi-reasonable thing I have heard all day. Seriously, why does a mad-man have to be the one to actually make sense out of the lot of you?"

Nobody answers that. We just keep walking.


	29. Chapter 29 House of the Rising Cid

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

"I know I've said this before," I blurt, pointing at the pathetic building before me, "but really, I'm not impressed."

"You must say that to ALL the guys," Benjamin says with a chuckle that makes me want to sock him and then castrate him.

"Ooh, something happen between you two I don't know about?" Cuore asks, slithering up to Benjamin, causing him to stand rigid and a look of both fear and anxiety cross his face.

"Cuore, you really think that I'd-"

"I wouldn't sleep with him if you paid me to," I say, sparing Benjamin a moment's pain. Honestly, I have NO idea why he's so into her. When their relationship finally consummates, it's going to be one Hell of a kinky ride for Ben, and I can't say I'm sure he'll live through it.

"Ha! I doubt you'd let ANYONE sleep with you, you frigid ice queen."

"Must you people always be so concerned with sex?" Arazlam demands, shoving an arm toward the building that provoked this conversation. "We've arrived, can't we settle for that?"

"That's not the only arrival I'd like," Gilgamesh yawns, walking past Arazlam after cocking his head in my direction. "Really, these parts of the adventure thing lack a certain amount of . . . insanity, wouldn't you agree, Lightning?"

"Huh? Sure, I guess." Again, not sure what he was talking about. Actually, I'm really not so sure about a lot that has to do with Gilgamesh. I mean, honestly. Shouldn't he be more ridiculous? I'm really not used to this cool and collected nature he displays. After all, all Heaven knows that Gilgamesh is the most bizarre and mad man out there.

I look at the building beyond him and repeat internally my earlier observation: it's not impressive. In fact, it's really a fairly pathetic looking hovel. If this is where Obsidian's Cids are hiding out, well, I mean, if **I** were a Judge or Confessor hunting the most wanted men in all of Heaven, I never would think to look here. It's just so . . . forgettable. I always imagined that four super geniuses would be holed up in some fortress surrounded by the mightiest weaponry imaginable. Arazlam seems confident that this is the place, though, so here we go, huh?

Benjamin, deciding that talk of his sex life, or lack thereof, has come to an end, walks up to the door, raises his fist, lays his knuckles against the wood, and then gets blown back twenty feet after a second's contact. We all part to let Benjamin's body fly by, no one even caring to catch him as he hurtles past. The door's fragments lay all around, and, after a moment, the dust clears. What we see next is somewhat unexpected.

Four black mages emerge from the door. Their faces typically obscured by a darkness spell. They form a simple formation, fanning out, outstretching their arms, each one pointing for one of us. In response, we form up, too. I draw Omega, Gilgamesh and Benjamin unsheathe their own weapons as well, while Cuore and Arazlam stand behind us, prepping their own spells.

Then, of a sudden, the black mages confound us more. They stand down, lowering their arms and relaxing their postures. Lowering their hoods, the four men reveal themselves to be none other than Cid Pollendina, Cid del Norte Marquez, Cid Kramer, and Al-Cid Margrace. Kramer, their leader, advances toward us.

"My, but what an interesting turn of events!" he says, beaming widely. "To think, had we not recognized you, there could have been quite the scuffle! Please, come in, come in!"

Somewhat taken aback, we lower our weapons, some of us making sheepish faces, and follow the Cids into their hut. Within we find further surprises, as we discover that the so-called hut is much more expansive than it seems. In fact, it appears rather like a mansion.

"And this place is . . . ?" Benjamin lets the question fade into the air.

"Journey's End." Al-Cid answers. "You did not notice it, but now that you are aware, the surroundings will reflect. This is an area made up of the endings of all journeys ever taken. We have taken the more . . . luxurious endings and crafted this place for ourselves."

"Odd," Gilgamesh says, "given that our journey is far from over."

"Yes, but in this case, I'd say you're more than half-way there," Cid Marquez replies, motioning for us to be seated. We comply with the request, seating ourselves on some fine couches in what resembles a parlor, if parlors had such expensive upholstery.

"We 'ave much te discuss," Cid Pollendina says as the four Cids seat themselves before us. "But we ain't got much time."

"Ironic, isn't it?" Kramer almost sings, clasping his hands together in front of himself, "Here we are in Eternity, at a place made of infinite Endings, and yet, well, we simply have no time."

"Really?" Gilgamesh says, his voice suddenly very, very cutting, "I think it's a bit different from that, in all honesty. After all, we're the ones who've been running like mad, while you lot just sit here on your fat asses planning and scheming away."

"You do well to place so little trust in us," Margrace says, sliding his dark glasses on, obscuring his eyes from our vision. "After all, we don't trust you much, either, 'Gilgamesh'."

"Good to have that out of the way," Gilgamesh answers, leaning back on the couch, resting the palms of his hands on the back of his heads, propping one leg above the other and smirking at the Cids. "But the kitten seems to trust you quite a bit."

"Do you think yourself her protector?" Kramer asks, the smile never once fading from his face, "or are your interests somewhat different?"

"Ha! I'll tell you like I told her. This chick's got an ass that makes any man look twice, and a rack that I'm _dying_ to see. I just hope she quits playing hard to get, because there's only so long a man can wait to get laid, and I really don't have much interest in Little-Miss-Flat-Ass over there."

"Ah," Marquez remarks, eyeing Gilgamesh only a moment more. "Then you won't mind? We are running a tight schedule, and these things are of great importance."

"Who? Me? I haven't the least bit of interest. My intents are on the table. You know me, right? I'm all about finding swords. Rare ones. I'm thinking of trading one with her. I'll give her a sword of mine in exchange for that one she's got there, if you take my meaning."

"Your euphemisms can wait," Margrace yawns. "We've things to tell her."

"So make with the expository banter, then. For Gilgamesh, it's nap time."

Gilgamesh lays back his head, as though sleeping, and at last we turn our attention to the Cids. I'm somewhat worried by the exchange that just took place in front of me, but I honestly am too excited by a chance to learn from The Cids to care for even a moment about what really just transpired in front of me.

"Well," Pollendina begins, "Ye certainly 'ave been busy since las' we met, eh?"

"All Heaven is looking for you," Marquez adds, "you've left a trail of destruction from Hell to Traverse. Crashed a party for Heaven's elite. Quite the gutsy moves you've made."

"You must undoubtedly have been to Memoria, then," Margrace says. "I believe that means you have already met the Divine Dragon, and have learned a great number of things, since then."

"You must have many questions, no doubt," Kramer continues, "Not all of which we can elucidate for you at this time. But what we can explain to you, we will now so do."

I'm about to speak, but Kramer raises one of his hands. Apparently, I don't get to dictate which questions are answered. Which I guess is run-of-the-mill for my work with The Cids. Every since I began their employ, they've been both demanding and rigorous in their control of the situation. Until now I never once was bothered with that now. I wonder why I suddenly feel VERY annoyed by Kramer's calm gesture and unimposing continuation of our established relationship?

"First," Says Marquez, rising to his feet and taking his place behind Kramer and Pollendina's seat, but beside Margrace, "You have encountered several persons originally not factored into the contract which you have accepted. Namely, we are aware that you met one Alfador, as well as a hybrid calling itself Goegnuo. You may discount most of the information given you by these entities and several others."

"That is to say," Margrace interrupts, "What you have been told by this 'Alfador,' as well as the Goegnuo and the Raem/Namine entities you have encountered was a cleverly fabricated ploy wrought by The Lady Cosmos in the hopes of fooling you, and throwing you off Her trail. The ONLY thing we were able to establish as correct is that there is indeed a traitor among us today."

"Who that traitor is, however," Marquez continues, "we cannot say. On this, our sources are unclear. It is . . . beyond our ability to state clearly at this moment."

The moment hangs for a second in the air. Just a second. That's okay, I already know who the traitor is. He himself told me so very, very recently. I cast a sideways glance at Gilgamesh, who continues to lay there, motionless save it be his breathing. I could almost swear I can hear him . . . snoring? No, that can't be right.

"Are we clear, Lightning?" Marquez asks.

"Yes, Messenger, we are clear."

"Excellent," Kramer comments, his gaze oddly fixed upon me. He looks so friendly. He's been a friend in times of great suffering to me. It's no wonder some think of him as a father figure. And yet, well, there's something else there in his eye. Something I can't quite . . . explain.

"Second," Pollendina says, "The Garland you slew in Memoria was indeed the original. Or at leas', wha' 'ad 'is soul innit. Wha' this means is that Chaos 'as lost 'is footin'. 'Owever, because 'e 'as Vincent Valentine, Chaos remains firm, an' 'is attack on The Sacred Nebula is goin' perfectly."

"Yes, Chaos's assault on The Sacred Nebula goes unchecked. Though He has lost a powerful asset, no one, neither Judge nor Confessor, Seraph or God can resist Chaos's onslaught. It is likely that, in His excitement, Chaos may not have even noticed the loss of Garland."

"This is a moment of great opportunity," Margrace comments, flicking his hand in our direction, as though detached from the situation. "Were we to strike, Heaven and Hell could not stop us now. Their forces are so busy with one another that the diversion is . . . nearly perfect."

"_Were_ we to strike? Why _were_?"

"Obvious, isn't it? Omega is yet incomplete."

"You see, contrary to what some," Marquez gestures toward Gilgamesh, "might suggest, we have been very, very busy while you've been out. We have been hunting for these scattered pieces of Omega."

"You have? Wait, but-" Benjamin blurts.

"Yes, we've been working very hard," Margrace says, cutting off whatever Benjamin was about to say. "And we have succeeded in finding them."

Again the moment hangs. They've found Omega's scattered pieces? Well that's great! That means we're one step closer! I can feel myself getting excited by this, and my attention comes to Kramer in order to hear every word he says.

Kramer gives that knowing smile, then says: "You have heard of The Beauty and The Beast principle, no doubt?"

"Yeah, actually, I have. Recently, too-"

"Excellent. Let us say that Omega itself obeys this very principle as well. What do you know about Omega? Think hard to all you have heard concerning it so far."

"Omega was Shinryuu's foe or something. Goegnuo claimed it was The Void, and Bahamut said that it was created by Matoya to battle Lufenia."

"Almost. Matoya did not create Omega, so much as she abused this principle, The Beauty and The Beast, to give it a form. Beauty and the Beast, in a way, began there. Even as Cid Lufaine was making Garland, who would become Chaos's Beauty, Matoya herself became Omega's Beauty, and built the machine that would become its Beast."

"But that's impossible!" Cuore says, "Two people don't just have the same idea at once! Cid Lufaine and Matoya couldn't have just come up with that idea at once at the same moment!"

"It was a common hypothesis," Kramer says, "Among the scientific communities of Joia at the time, it was a well known speculation. They put it simply as 'for every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction,' I believe. You're right to find it strange. I find MUCH of what took place in those days ominously out of the norm, but I have no evidence that this was not the case, as Lufenia used this same idea to construct a being of Harmony in the likeness of Cid Lufaine's mother."

"You don't mean Cosmos?" Benjamin asks.

"That is one idea, yes. There are other candidates. Cosmos Herself never states whether this be the case or not, given that She has always maintained Herself to be Sarah Cornelia."

"But She could have more than one avatar, like Chaos had Garland and Vincent."

"Yes, that's possible, though very rare. Gods do not often like to combine multiple personalities. With one, they can easily have been that person in mortality, but with two they make themselves far more difficult to maintain. But I digress, Chaos and Cosmos are not our subjects here. Omega is.

"Now, as it happens, Matoya lived beyond that war, and died out a witch in a cave, nearly blind from the world, save it be for a few small tricks. She had, to be precise, an eye, made from nothing more and nothing less than **crystal**. Long have The Heavens been searched for this eye, but nothing has ever come of it."

"Why bother?" Cuore interjects, "I mean, there are plenty of Crystals in Heaven. All hers did was let you see, which everyone here can do."

"True, true, but Matoya's crystal was special. This eye could see . . . everything. Past, Present, Future. It could see time in and of itself. It could grasp all of its possibilities, and how all of these would inevitably connect with Eternity. It could see the truth, and it could see lies. It could see what no one could know."

"Again, I can't say I see the problem here. Can't Gods do all this already?"

"Some, yes, but not all. Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Omnivision. These four things are what all Gods seek. Most Gods are merely more advanced than Seraphim in these things. A select few Elohim reach one or two of these, but only one God has them all: Cid Lufaine. The High One. But with Matoya's eye, a God or even a man could have Omnivision- the power to see all things- and be suddenly much closer, and with much less effort, to equaling Cid Lufaine.

"But our purpose in mentioning these things today is not that. It refers, instead, to what Matoya stored in this Crystal Eye: The location of the pieces of Omega. For, as her death approached, Matoya became aware that Shinryuu was advancing, and, because she foresaw it, she knew where He would lay the pieces of Omega.

"The body of Omega, the Beast, has long roamed Heaven in search of Shinryuu, its quarry. The Blade, which you now possess, was found among the treasures of several Gods of Dawn. What Omega lacks, then, is its Beauty."

"So we need to find Matoya."

"Not quite. You see, this was Matoya's last strike against Cid Lufaine. She made Omega's Beauty two-fold, and she hid with only a single clue, which we have searched far and wide to find. Would you like to hear it?"

"Seriously? Of course!"

"Not you, Benjamin. We ask this of Lightning. Will you hear this clue?"

Something about this doesn't sit well with me. I've never been treated so . . . specially by the Cids before. Why this sudden attention? I mean, Arazlam was contracted at the same time I was, and Benjamin and Cuore have similar station, so why me? Whatever, no time to worry about that now.

"Of course I will."

"Excellent. This is what Matoya left for those who would come after her:

_Beneath the Mana Tree the Wise Old One spake. Before Him sat two children, whom He created for His own sake._

_God of Mana, God of Life,_

_God of Wisdom, God of Strife._

_Maker, Ender, Will of Eternal Flames._

_Two children before the Wise Old One sat, and He gave them names._

_To the man-child, fully formed, but uninformed,_

_Gave He Alpha, for realities yet Unborn,_

_To the woman-child, well developed, yet not enveloped,_

_By woman's sin, Gave He Omega, for lives put at end._

_Irony He used to bind them,  
The Man, called Alpha, despite Man's own tendency to kill,_

_Omega, The Woman, her motherly needs to fulfill._

That," Kramer says, "is Matoya's clue. It was called the Matoyan Prophecy in Her world, but we are wiser, and know it as a clue to Omega's location. That is to say, Omega lies in a Man, and in a Woman. The Man and Woman here mentioned we have managed to find, as well as The Beast. The Man and Woman are people you know rather well, actually: Firion of Salamand, and yes, the ever beguiling Terra Branford."

I feel the blood run from my face. Terra is part of Omega? I guess that makes sense. It would explain how she could slay Kefka, and it makes sense that Firion was part of Omega, too, given how he took and broke The Emperor into pieces. But still . . .

"The Beast is in a place called The End of Worlds. We ourselves will head there to meet it. You must bring The Man and The Woman to it, if you are to use all of Omega's power. Firion is currently in a place called The City That Never Was. Deep Dive Hotel, to be exact. Terra will be found at Romantic Beach, but you need not worry, with Chaos on the loose, you will not find the Judges after you at this juncture. The road is clear."

"One little thing worth mentioning," Marquez says as the conversation comes to its end, "Time grows short. The Lady has initiated the 14th Cycle as Her last gambit. Cosmos means to take you in before Her game is up. She must be stopped now, before She can succeed." Marquez tries his best to give us a reassuring smile, "Do not be dismayed. Come, you must be tired! Rest this night with us, and on the morrow we set our sights on Omega, to free Heaven, and to free The Scholar."


	30. Chapter 30 Things that Hump in the Night

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

My head hurts. Not the pain you hear about from people under going some silly mental break down or whatever. Even when Raem was eating my memories I didn't feel the kind of sharp and blinding pain they talk about. No, my head just hurts from too much thinking.

I've been puzzling over what The Cids said today, but I just can't make it work right. Something about it all doesn't add up. The conversation was so odd, so . . . disjointed. Normally The Cids are much more logical, and much more centralized. Today they seemed to be all over the place. It was . . . concerning, I guess.

The afternoon passed without anything worth noting. We bathed, we ate, and we took time to ourselves, but that's about it. It's late now, The Cids have retired, as have my companions. I'm up, walking around the halls of the mansion-hovel in the dark, just trying to fit the pieces together. It's not working. Not working well at all.

As I wander the hall aimlessly, I hear someone behind me. I whip around, suddenly alert, only to find that it's Benjamin, lugging a blanket behind him. He kinda stares at me with these bleary eyes and yawns for a minute. Finally, I get tired of just standing there, and break the silence.

"What the hell are you doing with that blanket? Miss your momma or something?"

"Well, it's just," he mutters as he stares down at his feet, "I can't find the bathroom."

"What?"

"I'm lost. This place is huge, and I need to pee. I grabbed the blanket out of a room so I can just sleep in any one I find after I manage to take a leak."

"Riiiiiiight."  
"Hey, don't just stand there! If you know where a bathroom is, tell me!"

"I don't know-"

"Then help me find one!" Benjamin exclaims, running past me and grabbing hold of my wrist. What the hell? If he doesn't remove his hand in ten seconds, I'm going to rip his arm out of its socket, immortality be damned.

Benjamin doesn't even notice. He just tugs me down the hall to a door, which he flings open. No bathroom. I don't even get a chance to look inside before we're off to the next. Then the next. And another thereafter. Eventually, frustrated, he turns on me and says, "You look on that side of the hall, I'ma look on this side."

Sure, why not? I wasn't doing anything important anyway. So I go about opening the doors, one after another. I'm not going as fast as Benjamin, sure, but then, I don't exactly need to pee, either. Each door conceals a room identical to the others. It's easy to see how you could get lost here, but then, since this place is also the Cids' stronghold, I guess it needs to be confusing. Doesn't bode well for Benjamin, though.

After about ten minutes of searching, I at last hear, "Oh GODS yes!" and then a door shutting loudly, followed by a long, long sigh. I slouch against the wall as I wait for Benjamin. No idea what I'm going to do next. I have my directives, though; Find Firion and Terra, and bring them to The End of Worlds before they're called into the Dissidia. I guess I just keep going then, huh?

But I'd be a liar if I said I'm not noticing the pain in my head, or that my right shoulder blade has been sore for Gods know how long. But the body heals. It always has. Just have to push through the pain, right? I've been through worse before. Hell, me and Kain . . .

What's taking Benjamin so long? Damn, I don't want to wait for him all night. Ah, there's the sound of running water. Ben emerges from the bathroom, then slouches down on the floor beside me, wrapping the blanket around himself. He lets out another sigh, then gives me a look.

"Hey," he says, "question for you."

"No," I say, "I wasn't lying. I really wouldn't sleep with you."

"Damn!" He mutters, "er, no, that's not what I was going to ask."

"What, then?"

"You'll laugh."

"Is it stupid?"

"You'll think it is."

"I think a lot of stuff you say is stupid. But then, you DO say a lot of stupid things."

"See? Nevermind."  
"No, spit it out. I can't sleep tonight anyway."

"No, it's true. I only have stupid things to say. I don't contribute to the group. That's why Arazlam and Gilgamesh ignore me, Cuore beats me, and why you've told me to go home more than once."

"Hey, don't put it like that. When you say it like that . . ."

"No, I know how it is. I always say stupid things like 'I'm gonna shrug!,' or 'Cowabunga!' or whatever. I've only come this far because of my own stupidity. I'm just dead weight."

"Shut up," I say, giving him a light sock in the arm, "You're an excellent addition to the team. If it weren't for you, we'd have all died back at the Prison."

"Where we were never supposed to go in the first place."

"So? We went there, didn't we? And you saved our lives."

Benjamin goes quiet for a minute, as if mulling this over in his mind. He breathes a little more heavily, then his voice returns, a hoarse whisper, as if choked by tears, "Lightning, are we friends?" he asks.

"What?"

"I miss my home, and my family and friends. But I believe every adventure brings us new friends. Are we friends, you and I?"

I'm stunned momentarily, unsure of how to answer the question. I roll it over and over in my head. It seems so hard to answer, but as I sit there, seeing him shudder from his silent sobbing, I know what to say. I don't determine the answer from my head, but from within my heart: "Yes," I answer, "we are."

Seconds pass, then Benjamin throws his head into my lap, soaking me with his tears. He doesn't make a sound, just lays there, shuddering with his tears. I'm at a loss as to how to react, so I just grab his blanket and lay it across him. It's a strange feeling, this one. I feel like it's something I've lost along the way. I feel . . . close to Ben, without the need for sex. It's not attractive, in the slightest, and it doesn't mesh well with my being the hardened soldier I am, but . . . I like this feeling. I just wish I could remember what this was . . . what it is that I'm feeling. It's good, though. I don't want to admit it, but I like this feeling.

Slowly, softly, Benjamin's awful heaving ceases, and I hear him mutter something softly through my lap as he does. "Are we doing the right thing? Are we the good guys?" He asks, his voice quiet and distant. The question hits me like a ton of bricks. I just sit there for a minute, again at a loss for words. I've never felt so completely out of my element.

"I don't even know if there are good guys and bad guys anymore," I say. "Funny that here, in Heaven of all places, I should come to feel that right and wrong are so blurred." I realize as I talk that Benjamin isn't listening. He's fallen asleep in my lap. I put a hand to his head and run my fingers through his hair. It's coarse and wiry to the touch. His head exudes a warmth into my palm as I pass it along his skull. I feel so much like I've done this before, but I just can't recall it.

Time passes as I sit there, Ben sleeping calmly in my lap. How much time I don't know. I don't care, either. I just take the chance to bask in the strange, inexplicable feeling that the situation brings me. I hope to the Gods that Cuore doesn't find me like this. Not that I'm doing anything wrong, but she'd go ballistic. I wonder what it is that Benjamin sees in her, that he subjects himself to it. Poor guy, to be so nice, and wind up smitten with someone as feral as she.

After a great while, I see a pillow stuck out before me. I follow the hand holding it up to see a black goatee, shaggy white hair, and a red cloth covering eyes. Gilgamesh. He puts a finger to his lips to keep me quiet, then points at the pillow, then Ben. I get the message, but I'm unsure of where this is going.

I slide out from under Benjamin, leaving the pillow beneath his head, then get to my feet and begin to follow Gilgamesh. We walk in silence for a good twenty minutes. I wonder if this has anything to do with what he said the other night? I've completely neglected it, purposefully, to avoid having to come to a conclusion. Fact is I don't know how to treat him any longer. I'm so busy trying to figure everything else out that I just can't spare a moment to think about his little bombshell. There's too much else going on in my life.

"Well?" I say, finally, seeing that we've stopped.

Gilgamesh faces me silently for a moment, then moves with a speed almost uncatchable by human eye. Throwing his weight into it, he slams us both against the wall, pressing his body into mine. He slams one of my arms above my head, and another to the side. I try to shout at first, shocked and annoyed, only to find that Gilgamesh has pressed his lips to mine with equal speed.

Irate, I try and break free at first, but, well, Gods, he's not that bad a kisser. Still, I'm pissed as hell. What is he thinking? I should bite down on his tongue, now that it's practically down my throat. Gilgamesh breaks off the kiss, breathing heavily, and suddenly his face is kissing it's way along my neck.

"What the hell are you-"

"Shut the fuck up now," he hisses in my ear. "We're being watched."

Gilgamesh runs another arm along my side. It feels . . . nice. But my mind is racing even as I avoid the somewhat unwelcome attention. "What? So you've decided to make this pornographic for them?"

"No you moron," Gilgamesh says after another long kiss, "I need to talk to you in a way they won't hear or understand. If you act like I'm trying to rape you, they'll come to your rescue."

"You mean you aren't trying to rape me?" I ask as he chews my ear softly.

"If I had wanted to do that, why would I do so now, instead of the many, many chances I had earlier?"

"That's not much of a justification."

"Shut up and kiss me, or the whole thing will go to waste."

"Oh, and we wouldn't want to waste this, now, would we?"

"Honestly? I wouldn't. I'm enjoying myself," he whispers, his breath warm against my neck. He releases an arm of mine to run it along my hip. Fine then, two can play at this game. I take the lowered arm and begin to caress his back, even as his hand sinks to places it ought not be allowed.

Between lengthy kisses I ask, "So, what is it you needed to ask me?"

"Gods, woman, you really are cold, aren't you. Not enjoying this, still?"

To be honest, I am. But to Hell if I'll let him know that. One of his many arms runs itself teasingly across my breasts and I moan to him, "You said you had something to say, so say it and be done with this."

Gilgamesh spins me slowly around, pressing himself against me harder. And when I say that, well, I think you know what I mean. Two of his hands caress my breasts as two others cross themselves at my navel. Gods, I haven't been laid in _so_ long. All those hands, so many . . . _possibilities_.

"Question one: Did you find anything unusual about the conversation with Kramer and the others today?"

"Not really. I mean, they're unusual men. I believe the term commonly applied is 'extraordinary.'"

"You're not as dense as that," Gilgamesh answers, sliding his tongue along my cheek. Strange, but not unwelcome.

"Well, their choices of subject matter were . . . disjointed."

"That's a start," he says, one of his hands brushing between my thighs.

"Watch it," I warn, "Or your arms aren't the only thing there'll be six of."

He lets out a low chuckle, then says, "You sure there's only one to begin with?" Ew. "Let's try this, then: How did the Cids know what we were doing in Memoria?"

That one causes me to gasp for air slightly. It's a slight physical reaction, but one he picks up on none the less. My skin feels like it's made from fire, and my whole body is warm, but Gilgamesh's question comes like a bucket of cold ice water. How did they know? Nobody could know.

"Here's another one," he whispers, his body pressed so tightly against mine that it feels like they're two pieces of a whole, like the contours and curves are all set up so that my body meshes perfectly with his. "How did the Cids discover Matoya's eye, and the missing pieces of Omega?"

Again a jarring bucket of cold water. I can't answer that question. I almost don't want to. I'm starting to focus more on the wants of my flesh than these stupid questions, anyway. It'd be so easy to just give in, and so easy to shut him up. All I'd have to do is . . .

"Last question of the night," he says, his breathing as heavy as my own. I swear I can feel his heart throbbing behind me. Well, something's throbbing anyway. "What's the easiest way for someone to know who the traitor in any party is?"

"If they're the . . ."

"Exactly. One more thing," he mutters, "two, actually."

"What?"

"First, your ass really _is_ fantastic. Second: sleep with me."

Just as I'm about to answer, I remember that strange feeling I'd had when holding Benjamin. The two feelings, what I was going through then, and what I am now, are so completely different that they cancel each other out. And like that, the magic is over, and the spell is broken.

"Not a chance in Hell," I say, after turning to face Gilgamesh. "I'm not nearly that easy."

"That so?" Gilgamesh says, taking a step back. "Well, I like girls who play hard-to-get."

"Try a girl who's playing 'you're-not-getting-any.'"

"We'll see about that. I am, after all, Gilgamesh."

Gilgamesh walks off, leaving me utterly alone. When he's gone, I sink to the floor, exhausted. My head's a wreck, by body's screaming for more, my heart's running laps at all the emotions in it now, and as my face heats up and my eyes begin to water, all I can hear is that same damn question repeated again and again in my head.

_What's the easiest way for someone to know who the traitor in any party is?_

And the answer, nonsensical to say the least, repeats itself just as often.

_Rosa._


	31. Chapter 31 You're Forgetting Something

**Within Cosmos, Remnant Scholar and Absolute Order**

You are a horrible person. You cannot honestly believe that you will succeed with this, now, can you? This is all far, far too sick for one person to achieve. There will be repercussions for what you do. Know this: you will be struck down.

_Will I? I disagree. The data they gather for me is of the utmost importance. It is vital to the plan. All of it is . . . necessary. And I am not afraid of your threats. Repercussions? Striking down? HA! Who will come after me? The Gods? The Judges? The Confessors? I control all these things._

Justice will claim you in the end.

_JUSTICE? Ha! I AM Justice now. And when the experiment proves my hypothesis, I will be more than mere Justice. I will be above all. The girl will make me all, and when I am such, hahaha, when I am such, I will decide what Justice IS, what Law is, what Chaos and Cosmos are. I will hold Absolute Virtue._

You think so? I still say she will side with me in the end. I am more than sure of it, in fact. When she discovers the truth, she will turn against you, and hand creation to me. And then, after all you have put me through, I will set things aright.

_You speak big words, but you will not even EXIST by that time. I hold onto you because you entertain me. But when the moment of Absolute Virtue nears, I will crush you with such force that it will be as though you never were._

Are my words the big ones? I think yours are. You boast that you are in control, that you reign supreme over this little frame of ours, but I have held out this long. I will bide my time. I will see you commit your atrocities, and then, at long last, when you least expect it, I will strike. I have more strength left in me than you acknowledge. Your pride will undo you, and when it does, I will be there, to mock you for all you have assumed to have. When you have fallen to pieces, and Absolute Virtue is awarded me, I will be the one to gaze at you, and, as they say, have no mercy.

_I tire of your words. Behold the stage we have set: all goes perfectly according to my plan. Even now, she collects the pieces of Omega, and, when those are in hand, the climax of our story will begin. The Student, The Swordsman, The Witch, and The Wanderer, all of them are carrying our Princess to her perfect ending. This one little toy, how many experiments have we laid about her?_

You act as though I am party to your vile deeds. I am not. I am innocent of the blood of this woman. And the Gods-

_The Gods don't worry about beings like her. No, in fact, NOBODY seems particularly worried by her. Isn't that what makes this plan so perfect? Soon enough Cid Lufaine will be undone by the very society He has created. All because the Gods He has groomed are every bit as apathetic as He. And in the end, because no one really bothered to look, the girl will get away with it all. And when she succeeds, I will._

Yes, we're all quite acquainted with this repetitive "I will soon rule supreme" shtick you've been blathering about for who knows how long. Haven't you anything else worth bragging about? Or is this the one big achievement in your otherwise pathetic, drawn-out existence?

_I was about to speak of something else when you interrupted me._

Ah, you mean your pathetic Report? Don't mock me. All your experiments have geared themselves toward the same end. You can claim they have their own separate, scientific value, but in the end, it was all just some vile scheme you cooked up.

_You have no appreciation for that which is truly refined. How beautiful it will be, when the war that Lufaine fought and his own mad experiments, are the very things which do Him in? This will be the perfect victory. When I hold Absolute Virtue, I will gaze upon Him and laugh. For all His machinations, for all the distance He has come, that same damn war between Lufenia and Onrac will be what does Him in. It is . . . poetic._

You don't even know why that war began.

_Does it matter why is began? I didn't begin it. But I am going to put it at long last to an end._

Do you think that absolves you? That it makes you a hero? It doesn't. You're a monster. You've lost everything that was ever redeemable about you. You ignore this war, and yet if you would pay attention to things you would find your great error.

_Bah! What am I missing? Don't bother me with those ridiculous stories of the First Fantasy. My knowledge of the subject is complete. I am aware of all players in that situation. Cid Lufaine, Shinryuu, Omega, Matoya, Chaos, and Cosmos. There is nothing to be missed._

And yet you still fail to grasp all the straws. Your vision narrows as your obsession with victory increases.

_Enlighten me, then._

Matoya? Why not Omega? There are a plethora of persons you overlooked. Bahamut comes to mind. Lukhan, too.

_Omega was just a weapon in Matoya's hand. Bahamut a pawn in Shinryuu's place. Lukhan was a fool, respected and loved as though we were the ones who had given him that . . ._

Yes. If Lukhan's prophecy did not originate from within us, then whence did it come? What was the source of the Legend for the Light Warriors?

_Warriors of Light._

You'd be surprised by the number of languages where it's the same thing.

_You'd be surprised by the number of people who can't differentiate between plural and singular, as well._

Like ourself?

_Not a word._

In this language, no. But you'd be surprised by the number of pathetic arguments that break out over this sort of thing. I mean, are we one person, or two? Are we an individual, or do we represent a group?

_You are simply a fragment of a personality I have preserved. This is not complicated, and it is simply explained._

For you, perhaps it is. But to others, it is not. What is the nature of a personality? What is this 'self' of which so often is spoken? Where does identity come from? What happens when it goes beyond the understanding of The Gods? If I replaced myself slowly, piece by piece, would I still be me? If I repair a castle over time, brick by brick, is it ultimately still the same castle?

_I care not for such foolish questions. I am who I am. I always shall be me. If I were not me, my motives would not exist. As I am still very much motivated, I see no reason in waxing poetic about the nature of being. We all begin as intelligences taken by The Gods and made into Unborn. The Unborn are kept in that realm beyond Eternity, and after their births, lives, and deaths, they are spirits, free to choose between Heaven and Hell. Angels become Gods. Demons become something . . . worse._

What of those who fall into The Void? What becomes of them? And what will become of me, once you achieve your goal and I am eradicated?

_I don't know. No one knows. We'll all find out when we return to The Void._

We're going to The Void?

_All things inevitably do. Not even Absolute Virtue can save you from that._

Are you sure?

_Absolutely. Everyone knows this._

Well, you HAVE overlooked things in the past.


	32. Chapter 32 That Was Easy

**DR. ARAZLAM DURAI, STUDENT**

**CODENAME: THE DISCIPLE**

**LOCATION: TCTNW**

**REASON: ACQUISITION**

Ah, yes, The City That Never Was. I've been wondering how long it would take us to get here. I suppose, though, that that's just my being impatient. After all, we're proceeding according to schedule. Yes, the higher-ups are upset because we've encountered a few factors outside the original parameters set, but I'm sure that won't be enough to really ruin us, now, will it?

I'm more preoccupied with what we heard the other day. "There is a traitor among you." Of course I've been aware of that for awhile, now. My orders include protecting against such a person. Unfortunately, said person's identity remains unclear. So it falls to me to make certain that Lightning does not, in fact, cave in to external influences. It is a . . . delicate process. I'm glad to hear that Goegnuo's prophecy was fiction, though, as, otherwise, I might believe myself in over my head.

The City is a bit of a sketchy place, crawling with Shades and Demons, itself situated upon the borders between Hell and The Void. But there are a fair number of citizens here who are noncombatant, and, while of Hellish nature, are likely not to want to bother a group of wandering angels. With our group, I'm more than certain we'll be able to dispatch whomever should come our way, but this does not remove the need for caution.

That said, The City isn't much worth describing, I suppose. Lots of tall, dark buildings casting a yellow light onto the rain-wet streets. Beyond The City lies a castle, white as bone, and above it hovers a heart-shaped moon. Not much beyond that, though. I suppose I ought to have greater impressions, but, well, it isn't like this Report concerns itself with scenery so much as sequence.

The air, however, is quite refreshing. I rather enjoy the feel of air just after a storm. While I'm told that it's taste is best before lightning strikes, I find the climate following the shower to be so very . . . pure. Even in a place as abysmal and desperate as this. The beings which inhabit this nocturnal realm must really be quite . . . queer.

Speaking of things out of the ordinary, there goes Benjamin, speaking three or four decibels above what is requisite. What does he want, every mercenary in this place to know our exact position? Maybe, well, maybe he does. I mean, there IS a traitor amongst us, and Lightning HAS suspected him before. Then again, she makes no comment of his actions at the moment. Unusual for her, since generally she's the first to strike him for an act of idiocy.

"YEESH," He blurts far louder than necessary, "This place is DULL. DULL, DULL, DULL. I mean, honestly. Everything is BLACK. Don't suppose these guys have, y'know, ever seen any other color, huh? Not that there's anything wrong with black, right, I mean, I don't want to, y'know, be one of _those people_ with their problems with the color black or anything. Not that you're not allowed to have your own opinion, right? I mean, if you gotta hate on the color black, hate on the color black, but I'm not that kinda guy. I don't discriminate, y'know? Because discrimination is bad and stuff, except, well, for, y'know, when it isn't. Freedom of speech and expression and all that. It's just that this place seems to have been conceived by the collective hormonal angst of all adolescents forever.

"Seriously, I mean "The City That Never Was"? Waaah. So your City Wasn't. Then why the Hell IS there a city here? I mean, isn't this a little contradictory? And don't get me started on the MOON here. I mean, c'mon, what IS that?"

His blathering goes on for a great while, no one bothering to shut him up, not even Cuore. Curious, since she almost always jumps at the chance to harm Benjamin. Concerning Cuore, I'm not entirely certain I trust her, either. To put this frankly, and yes, I'm willing to commit this to the official Scholar's Report, I believe there is something _deeply_ wrong with that woman. I have permitted her presence at the demand of my superiors, but there is ONLY so much a man can stomach. She is a frustrating person with as many complexes as there are stars in Heaven. I do not like her, to say the least.

But this goes beyond my personal dislike for her. If it was just my dislike of persons which governed the roster of this outfit, we wouldn't be consorting with the likes of this alleged Gilgamesh either. And I apply the word alleged _liberally_ here. This man is not Gilgamesh. He cannot be. Gilgamesh is a madman whose lines are so beyond stupid they border on intelligence. He once suggested we were all merely pawns in a game played by persons far beyond our comprehension! This man, on the other hand, seems entirely too . . . **lucid** to be Gilgamesh.

Sadly, however, my whims do NOT dictate the membership of our group. I am loathe to officially refer to these neophytes as members of Obsidian, as they lack even proper codenames. But I digress, it is not MY will which determines the persons with whom I work, but rather, it is the will of that woman.

Codename: The Lightning. She is woman I respect. One, in fact, for whom I care. I would do everything in my power to keep her from harm, both physical and spiritual. This is, in fact, my mission. I must keep her safe. But she can't know that. Ha, in fact, she can't know most anything about me. Why I am along for the ride. What my true feelings are. What I like. The way her rarely seen smile sends me spinning.

But now I am wasting company time, space, and matter. Personal information does not go here. Just as she will never know, neither can this record show. That, too, is a part of my mission. No, no, these things are unworthy of the attention of those who will come after. As this is an official document, I cannot be so . . . informal. I will survive, to be sure. I've come this far, now, haven't I?

And speaking of travel in a more physical sense, it appears we're nearing our destination. I have to ask: What is a man like Firion of Salamand doing in a dump like this? This is hardly the place I'd expect to meet one of the champions of the most notable Dissidia in Heaven and Hell. I suppose my answers are about to arrive, though, now, aren't they?

We round the last corner, Benjamin whining all the way, till at last we arrive at the hotel. The building is notable for being taller than most in the area, as well as significantly brighter. From its yellow glow we can see a fountain illuminated in front. Either side of the fountain is encircled with a curving series of wide steps. And, conveniently for us, seated on these steps is none other than one Firion of Salamand.

Not so convenient, however, is the fact that he's not alone. Had we desired to quietly abduct him, that plan would now be blown to pieces. Granted I'm not entirely sure what Lightning plans, or IF she plans, but thus far we've been successful, planning or no.

Worse still is WHO happens to be sitting with him. A woman I hadn't expected to see here at all. She's wearing a white gown, striking in its contrast to the surroundings, and has a faint pink bow holding her hair back in a ponytail. From here it would be difficult to determine who she is, were it not for the fact that I am only too aware of her name, person, and actions as of late.

"Well," Lightning says. "We're not just going to stand here and watch him, are we?"

"No, obviously." I venture. "You've a plan then?"

"Maybe," she grumbles, "do you?"

"Not exactly."

"Then I'll go with my own." She advances toward them.

"Wait!" I stammer.

Lightning turns back to look at me, a strange, feral look in her eye. I've seen that only once before. That was the look in her eyes when she massacred Garland. This look, it sends a shiver down my spine like a knife's tip being run along the skin. It is, however, not she who speaks, but Gilgamesh.

"Worried by his company?" He asks. I'm not at all sure how much he can see with that cloth covering his eyes, but I'm also not sure I give a damn. Stupid fashion-obsessed fiend. Boar of a man.

"Well, it IS unusual. We were told he'd be alone."

"Do you always believe what you're told?"

"I like to take things on faith, yes. Especially when it comes from persons of good report." It isn't much of an answer, but my eyes positively BEAM anger and hatred at the man. I never was good for open confrontation. It is, after all, rather brute.

"Too late," Benjamin half-groans, pointing beyond us. I follow his finger with my eyes, and yes, as suspected, Lightning has walked right into it. What if this was a trap? Would she have so foolishly charged in, then?

We follow her, closing the distance between ourselves and the pair seated at the hotel. We arrive just in time to hear Lightning finish her greeting of them. I find the puzzled looks on their faces rather comical. I wonder what it is they're thinking. Perhaps they're wondering how it is we all wound up in so dreary a place as this?

"Well this is quite the party you've brought, uh, Lightning." Firion says, casting a strange look in our direction. "I have to admit, I hadn't expected to see you here tonight."

"Why call her Lightning?" asks the woman at Firion's side, scratching her head. "I mean, you could just call her-"

Firion jabs the woman in the ribs with his elbow. "Don't be such a fool, Aerith," he gives her a meaningful glare to cement his message. "We all know why."

"Ah, I see." Aerith comments. She flashes that beautiful smile at the rest of us, clasps her hands behind her back, and bobs her head playfully as she says, "You guys are really popular these days, you know? A lot of people're looking for you. I wonder why?"

"Easy," Lightning answers her, "A lot of people are making a big mistake."

"You sure got that right," Aerith says, her innocence either a very, very fake façade or one deserving of a medal. "But I wonder if we're talking about the same mistake here."

"Depends," Lightning answers, her, not for an instant considering the many, many facets to the nature of this woman called Aerith. "What mistake do you say they're making."

"No, no, that won't do!" Aerith responds, making a show of pouting. "I asked you first."

"Fine. I think they're all making a mistake in believing in Cosmos."

"Interesting."

"And?"

"And what? I find your version of things interesting."

"And what's the mistake YOU think they're all making?"

Aerith smiles again, leans her face close to Lightning's, then says, "That's a secret." She pauses a moment, looking thoughtful. "No, that's not right. I meant to say, 'No spoilers.' Yep, that's how it goes. No Spoilers!"

Lightning's face is positively lethal upon hearing this. She glares wildly at Aerith, and for a moment, I'm worried we're about to be treated to a cat fight. Eventually the rage passes from Lightning's person, however, and she merely says, "Huh. Well, aren't you clever?"

"Oh, no, please don't take it like that!" Aerith answers. "I don't want to be rude. I just have my own rules to follow, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it."

"Great!" Aerith exclaims, giving Lightning a sudden hug. Lightning's face pales at this, and I can't discern what she's thinking. Aerith backs away and says, "You're gonna make so many people happy! Oh! But again, no spoilers!" She turns to Firion and says, "Hey, this'll probably be the last time we see each other before the Dissidia begins. You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Absolutely," Firion says. "Send my love to Cloud and the others."

"Always," Aerith says, embracing Firion briefly. She turns to face us one last time, then says, "Well, I gotta split. See you guys in the after-party!" and with that, she takes off running. A lone woman in a city as rotten and vile as this. If it weren't for the fact that I know what she's capable of, I would fear for her. As it is, I fear for the city, having someone like her on the loose.

Firion turns his attention on us, and, giving us a small smile, asks, "So, what can I do for you?"

Lightning sizes the man up, then says, rather bluntly, "We need your help."

"My help? Doing what? Last I checked I was one of the good guys. Shouldn't we be fighting?"

"You like fighting?" Gilgamesh asks.

"Not particularly."

"That's why we need your help. We're trying to make the fighting stop."

"Ah, so that's it, huh? Yeesh. All this just to put an end to Cosmos' Dissidia? Heaven's a big place, people. You don't HAVE to worry that much about Her. I mean, you can do other things, and it isn't like anybody has memories of The Dissidia once without."

"What about Her New Heaven?" Cuore asks. "You agree with that?"

"Sure. Heaven's been overfull of sin for a long time. How can Gods be pure when they're surrounded by such impurity?"

"And do you see the Gods as pure?"

"Is this an inquisition?"

"Nobody expects the Inquisition," Gilgamesh mutters.

"No, not an inquisition," Lighting says. "This is a proposal. We need your help."

"With . . ."

"We're going to topple Cid Lufaine's regime; with THIS," she says, showing him Omega.

"I'm aware of this," he answers, causing me to gasp inaudibly. He's WHAT? How could he possibly know all this? Oh, sure, we're wanted all over Heaven, but it's impossible that Cosmos would have publicized the reason WHY. So how does he . . . ? "Hah. Surprised, are you?" He asks, beaming at our confusion. "Well, let's just say you aren't the ONLY ones who find out interesting things. Let me ask you this: HOW do you intend to use Omega to topple Cid Lufaine's government, and WHAT does that have to do with me?"

"You ever hear of Beauty and the Beast?" Lightning asks, "Omega's the Beast, and you're the Beauty. That's what it has to do with you."

"Ah-"

"Not finished. We take Omega and point it in the face of Cid Lufaine. If need be, we put it in Him. THAT'S how we fix Heaven."

"And then what?"

"What?"

"You're going to rip off the Head of All Eternity, then what? You think that the massive power vacuum you create is just gonna fill itself with something better? Who? You? Why should I help you reign any more than Cid Lufaine? What would make you better than Him, then?"

"What're you talking about! I don't want to rule Heaven."

"Then who DO you want to rule Heaven? I mean, this seems to be your goal, doesn't it?"

"I don't want ANYONE to rule Heaven! That's the point! I want to make Heaven free from all of this. Every soul to its own."

"And you think that's what's really going to happen?"

Lightning blinks at him. Her mouth hangs open, but no words come out. No retort, no sharp response. This isn't good. If this keeps up, my superiors will be most . . . _displeased_. Time, I suppose, I put this miserable attempt at dissuading a woman who has come so far to quit out of my sight.

"Firion," I begin, my voice smooth as silk, seductive as scarlet, and strong as steel, "You're a reasonable man, with a most . . . rustic view of things. Above all, you are a lover of freedom, of free will, and of the putting of destiny into the hands of one person. You would that all life were in harmony, and yet free at the same time, would you not?"

"It's no secret that I put value in freedom. For that purpose I question your 'proposal'."

"You also hate being manipulated, don't you? You are not one to give your will to another, save it be by your own choice. Am I correct, or mistaken?"

"Your analysis is accurate. Undoubtedly these things come from an intrusive study of my person over Gods-know how much time." He nods his head passive-aggressively, "My thanks to our new Cid Overlords."

"You're afraid of being used by The Cids? It's true that Lightning, and through her we, work for them, but only inasmuch as they wish to see freed their friend, The Scholar."

"Ah, Cid Previa. It has been awhile since I've heard of him. How is he these days?"

"How does a moogle being digested by a sand-worm feel? I imagine it's much the same."

"Huh, you don't say. I imagine you've a point to make here? Last time I checked, it was Cid Previa who authorized the use of my personality in Cosmos' wars ad infinitum. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've heard The Cosmos Report, but, well, from what I can tell, Previa wasn't any better than The Gods he sought to challenge."

"I do indeed have a point to make," I say, smiling myself. Firion has now walked right into my trap. Where I want him, I believe is what they call this. Well, here we go, then: "Let me draw the line for you here and now. Cosmos has no qualms about using anyone, anytime, anywhere. Evidence? The Warrior of Light, known simply as "Sol". The man's very person is a mystery to him, and you're AWARE of that. She uses him. She shapes him. What, when She is done purging Heaven of those She does not enjoy, is to stop Her from doing this to others?

"Your nature as a part of Omega is something we will publicize and She will investigate, should you fail to aid us now. Believe you me that, if it comes to that, She will discover your relation to something so absolutely dangerous to Her. Do not for a moment fool yourself into believing that She will stay Her hand in permitting your free movement. You will spend Eternity as another dog at Her beck and call, sharing the fate of that Warrior.

"On the other hand, you may join us, and therefore embrace your destiny as a part of Omega. Doing this, you will aid countless angels in the realization of Final Heaven. This done, you will never again need to fear any Dissidia, any God, or any other force coming to attack.

"Don't bother questioning if you ARE in fact a part of Omega or not. You know only too well how well this explains things for you. You broke Mateus into pieces. This was more than simply might. This wasn't even akin to Golbez' recent murder of Minerva. You broke a man's soul into tiny pieces. You KNOW you share a power of destruction with Omega.

"You HATE being manipulated, so I am giving you the choice to make for yourself: Subject yourself to our proposal and free yourself from future manipulations. Deny our request and you will forever be bound to The Lady. The choice, Firion, is entirely yours."

"Well, damn." Firion says. "That's quite a way of putting things, isn't it?" Firion frowns a moment. He seems to count us for a moment, then says, "Fine then. Count me in. I have to kill some time until the next Dissidia anyway. What do I have to lose?"

Lightning offers him a hand. He bats it away. She shrugs. This will be a shaky alliance, to say the least. "You'll have to stick with us for a bit. We have another member to pick up before we're ready to go. Sidequest, nothing more."

"Ah? Who's that?"

"Guess."

"Don't need to. Terra Branford."

My heart skips a beat. Something isn't right at all about this. There are just too many things here which are SCREAMING that they're out of order here. I try to warn Lightning, "Wait a moment, Lightning, I think-"

"Shh." She cuts me off. "You know already, huh? Good for you. It saves me the time of having to explain on the way there."

"And where, exactly, is there?"

"Romantic. Nice beach, actually."

"You know what they say, right? The culprit always returns to the scene of the crime."


	33. Chapter 33 The Beach Episode

**GREAT HERO: BENJAMIN!**

'**Cuz, y'know, I been jammin', geddit?**

Right, so, we're finally at this beach called Romantic again. It's been a couple days since we talked Firion into travelling with us, and, I gotta say, I really like him! He's a nice guy with a great attitude, and he just seems to be so helpful! It's so great that he's gonna help us take out the bad guys and make Heaven safe for freedom and justice. That's why I really like him. He's so helpful! I wish I could be more like Firion.

So we made it to the beach, and we take a look around, right? Well, it turns out that Terra's not here. Yeah, the guy at the inn where she'd been staying says she went to this place called Comfortable, which is just a ways from here. Not very easy to explain, but whatever. The good news is, since we're all here, we get to take the day off and relax at the beach!

Yes! Beach day! It's been a HELL of a long time since the last time we got to really relax. I mean, I think the last fun any of us had was when we went to go shopping for clothes before we came here to crash the party. Yeah, that was a fun day. I'll have to see if we can't get that slid into the report at some point.

And, of course, let's not forget the fanservice, eh gentlemen! Man have we got a treat today. Romantic is, of course, overflowing with all manner of beautiful women in sexy beach wear, but I think our travelling party more than makes up for that.

First up is one Lightning. Our well-endowed, fiery-eyed beauty is dressed in a shiny white bikini! You can tell a lot about somebody from the way they dress, and let me tell you, as I look, four, nine, twenty times at Ms. Farron, there's a lot my brain's saying, and there're inches and inches more of her that I'd just like to _know_, er, scripturally speaking, if you take the meaning. Two words, "DAA-AAMN!"

Then we have the sultry, stunning, fantastically perfect Cuore! Gods, the way she moves when she walks! I swear the twins have a gravity all themselves. And their pull is especially targeting my hands today, hehehehe. Cuore is, of course, strutting her stuff in something emerald. Not exactly your first thought when you think "sexy swim wear," but, then again, it does catch my eyes.

"Would you believe," Cuore says, bouncing her way over to us, " that little-miss-uptight here wanted to wear a one-piece?"

"Nothing wrong with a one-piece." Firion says, himself dressed in a surfer's shirt and shorts.

"Nothing wrong with a _sexy_ one-piece," Cuore corrects. "Lightning wanted to wear one that covered from her shoulders to her knees."

"Not very wise leaving this much skin exposed," Lightning mutters, looking somehow embarrassed by her divine figure.

"Right, so I dissuaded her from THAT fantasy," Cuore continues, her face displaying something like vexation mixed with relief that the situation had been ended. Gods, I love her lips, so cute! "Then she tried to put on Elven Chain-mail. Never mind the weight!"

"It was mythril, and it had good defense. It would've been fine."

"We're at a beach, love. Chain-mail can't at ALL feel good as swim wear. Imagine how much it'd pinch you!"

"Elven. They're designed for comfort, as well."

"And then there's the sand and the water. No, it wouldn't do. So finally I just managed to force her into this." If I imagine what that scene would have looked like, I may mess my pants in the best way possible. Since I'm in public, gonna have to ignore that option, I'm afraid.

"Gods, but there's an ass I could look at all day," says somebody behind me. I turn around, and, yep, Gilgamesh. Dammit, does he only ever think about her ass? In answer, "Then again, there are two other things worth staring at there, too." Well, at least I won't have to think about this all day.

Arazlam walks up after Gilgamesh and I start laughing. I keel over at the sight of the guy. Pale! So pale! WHIIIIITE! He's got scraggly chest hair, and that big beard of his just doesn't go well at all with that moon-skin of his! I think my ribs' gonna crack.

"Oh, really," Arazlam says, rolling his eyes in futility.

"Benjamin, knock it off," Lightning says, even if I can't.

Cuore grabs me off the ground and lifts me by the throat. She leans her face in reaaaaal close and oh Gods that's just, um, just a rock in my pocket there. Brushing her lips across mine, eyes fixed on my own, breath so hot it feels like I'm gonna melt in it, breasts against my chest. "Benny, baby, cut it out."

A minute later she lets go of my neck and I fall to the ground, gasping for air. Damn, she'd be hot if she weren't so fraggin' scary. I need to talk to her. I have to. That settles it, then, huh? Before the end of the day, I'm gonna talk to her! Yeah! That'll do it! Tell her how I feel.

"Gang's all here," Gilgamesh says, "Guess that means the obvious, huh?"

"Musical montage of us randomly splashing in the water and laughing, followed by a blindfolded attempt at opening a watermelon?"

Gilgamesh, still sporting that stupid red scarf across the eyes, just kinda sits there a minute, but I guess he's staring. He says, "Damn, kid. Stay out of my mind. That is EXACTLY what I was thinking."

"Wait, what?" Arazlam asks, but it's already too late. The music, something catchy and silly, starts playing, the screen pulls away, and there we are, laughing those awkward, silly laughs as we splash about in the water.

"I have NO idea where this is going," Lightning says.

"I could show you were some things were meant to go, and where they inevitably must."

"Do and I'll kill you."

"Just trying to fulfill the Gods' plan."  
"Be fruitful and multiply elsewhere."

"What the Hell is going on?" Cuore asks, but the screen's already pulling again, not giving time for her to even really grasp what's going on.

Suddenly we're all sitting on the beach, giant grins on our faces, watermelon between us, as Arazlam stumbles about with a wooden pull in his hands, trying to strike the melon. I can't wait to eat that. Granted, that's not the only thing I'm interested in eating here, and certainly not the only melon I'm after.

"How did we get here?"

"Just go with the damn montage, people. What else does one do in a beach episode?"

"A what?"

"I could explain it, but the fourth wall's suffered enough, don't you think?"

And with that, we're off, spending the rest of our day in other clichés you'd normally associate with a day shared by six young people with healthy bodies (minus Arazlam's), lots of unresolved sexual tension, dressed in thin straps of body-fitting fabrics, surrounded by sun, surf and sand.

During our obligatory game of Frisbee, which followed our volleyball showdown against the kids from the other school (you know, the ones we don't like very much, cuz they think our school is lame. What're their names? Ah, Kain, Cecil, Snow, Celes and Beatrix. I thought Celes was good looking, but Beatrix's pirate fetish, what with the eyepatch, was over the top for me) I wound up having to chase the Frisbee.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "how does a Frisbee wind up in a setting like this?" well the answer is that this is a beach episode, so we just needed one, and yeah, you think too much. So anyway, I run off after the damned Frisbee, or, if you must, "flying discuss" and I go on and on for awhile, and man, who knew that Firion could throw so far?

I think I'm running for maybe like, two or a billion hours, give or take, when I finally find the thing. Unfortunately for me (which is to say, at the time, I find it VERY fortunate) it's lying right next to a very, very attractive brunette with the brightest green eyes I've seen in Gods know how long. Cuore was right. A one-piece can be VERY attractive when worn properly, and this pink one here? YEEESSSSSS . . .

And then, of course, I realize who this present-with-a-ribbon-on-her-chest is.

"Well, hello there," Aerith says, rising slowly. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come. I'll fix that, though."

"What? Wait, huh?"

Aerith smiles. Her teeth, like jewels in and of themselves, rob me of any resistance I may have had. She pats the blanket beside her. "Come, sit down a moment, Ben- can I call you Ben?- I've been waiting to speak with you."

As if I could ever deny a request from a damsel as striking as this. I bet she'll need rescuing from some dragon or something. I mean, I remember Arazlam mentioning staying away from her, but well, Arazlam's a moron. I mean, sure, he's book smart, but any real hero knows that a pretty lady never lies. Gilgamesh said that himself.

Seating myself beside her, I say, trying my best to look cool, "So, uh, what'd you want to talk about?"

"You're much too tense," she giggles. "Relax. I won't bite you. Lower your guard."

"Wha?"

"Your shoulders. They're all up-high and stuff. Relax a bit, will you? I just want to talk."

"Oh, s-sure," I stutter, trying my best not to be flustered by the sudden attention to body language. "Whatever."

"Tell me about yourself, Benjamin. What do you most fear?"

"Me? I'm a pretty cool guy and doesn't afraid of anything."

"Did you really just say that?"

"Okay, okay. Not funny, I know. But honestly, I don't really take the time to think about being MOST afraid of anything. I'm scared by a lot of stuff. Nothing is particularly more frightening than any of the other crazy shit that gets thrown at me every day." Great. Said a cuss in front of a babe-lady, AND you made a lame and out-dated joke. C'mon Ben, you can do this!

"Really? I know what I'm most afraid of."

"What's that?"

"Not being remembered. I don't want to be forgotten."

"That could be scary, I guess."

"What do you want to do for all eternity?"

"Huh? Well, I want to have fun, you know."

"What defines fun, for you?"

"Well, lots of things. Today is fun, for example. Hanging out with my friends, playing games, sex, eating, the odd puzzle, sparring."

"Wow, you're certainly . . . open, huh?"

Even though she's giggling, I can't help but feel stupid. Did I just admit to thinking sex is fun? Is that a lie? I mean, _I_ enjoy it anyway. "Oh, sorry," I manage, "just mouthing off, I guess."

"No, that's cute, that's all. It's hard to meet guys who are so honest. That's why I wanted to talk to you. You're really honest, and you see things simply, without distortion."

"Oh," did she just call me stupid? "thanks, I guess."

"You ever heard of that 'End of All things' doctrine?"

"What, that all things come from The Void, and all things return to It?"

"Yeah, what'd'you think of that?"

"Well, uh, hm. Sounds pretty depressing if you ask me. I mean, I know they say Cid Lufaine and, after him the other Gods raise intelligences from The Void to make souls, but, I dunno. Depressing, don't you think? That Eternity should end in nothingness."

"I know! It's horrid. But, well, you've been travelling with Lightning for some time, right? Is it true what they say about her?"

"That she has a really nice ass-" eyes wide. DAMN I'M A MORON! Why do I SAY things before I THINK them?

Aerith laughs it off. Her laugh is like a waterfall of sugar cascading off a precipice of bliss. It soothes the stupidity and awkward nature of the statement that much faster. "No, silly. That she's trying to kill Cid Lufaine."

"Oh, that, well, uh, kinda?" I'm not sure if I should be saying this or not. I mean, Aerith is hot, and she seems nice, but well, I somehow don't know if it's a good idea to _admit_ these things to people who aren't exactly in the group.

"You're tense again," Aerith says. "Here, let me help you relax." And before I can say anything, her hands are on my shoulders, massaging slowly. It hurts like hell for a minute, then it becomes soooo much better. This position is advantageous to her, as she can now whisper her questions like sweet nothings into my ears, rather than just voicing them aloud.

"So, if Lightning wants to off The High Cid, couldn't that send everything back to nothingness?"

"I guess, but I'm sure Lightning wouldn't want to do something like that."

"Oh, what makes you so sure of that?"

"Simple. She's one of the good guys. Good guys don't bring about the end of the world. That's what bad guys do."

"You're so right," she says rubbing her hands from my shoulders do my back. Gods it feels so right. "I mean, why would the good guys want to do something like that?" And then she moves with a speed I'd never imagined. Suddenly she isn't behind me, but in front of me. She's straddling me, and then WHAM. I'm pinned to the blanket below me, Aerith lying atop.

"What in the-"

"Now here we reach the proposal."

"Gods, I don't know what you're about to propose, but I just might like it."

"Zack'd kill us both if he saw this. Always was a jealous type."

"Oh, hey, hold on, slow down. I don't want to have anything to do with a girl who's got an angry boyfriend!"

"Hey, that's part of the fun, isn't it? Part of the challenge. Oh, you are a good looking one . . . Hey, we could really make this worth your while and worth mine. Listen good, or I'll scream. I just might scream anyway, Ben, but what I scream really kinda comes down to the things you say next, so listen well, mkay?" She looks fantastic, and at the time, she looks bat-shit crazy. She nods at me, and I nod my silent agreement.

"Great, so here's how this works: I need you to take a real good look at who the good guys and who the bad guys are in this game, okay? You want to help the good guys, don't you Benjamin?"

I blink at her.

"Say yes or I'll shout now and you'll have judges and confessors all over you sending you to the depths of The Void for trying to rape me."

"Yes."

"Good! I knew we could count on you. The others disagreed, but I knew you were smart." She runs her index finger along my sternum, circling my nipples idly along the way, making a figure eight. "What do you know about true love, Ben?"

"Unless there're Gods behind it, they say it's a sham."

"What do you say?"

"Gods be damned. Some people're just made for each other."

"When two people fall in love, _true love_, isn't it their right to be together forever?"

"Yeah. I guess so. I mean, that's what true love is all about: you stay with someone through all the goods and bads."

"But what if you were robbed by all of that? What would you do to get your true love back?"

"Everything, duh? I mean, it wouldn't be true love if you didn't do your best to protect it."

"You're cute when you're scared," she says, eyes locked on mine. "Most men would be more turned on by the moment."

"The prospect of eternity in The Void is not something that gets me hot, sorry."

"Relax, Ben. How many times do I have to say that? Now, let's say you lost your true love, and you're fighting to get her back. Is there a point where you should let go? Do you do everything for her, or do you draw the line somewhere? How much does true love require?"

"Well, I mean, you have to do everything you can to save the ones you love."

"What if that meant becoming something or someone different from what they'd loved?"

"Uhm."

"Tough question, huh? Need some time to think it over? Lemme relax you while you mull it over."

"What is love?" I ask suddenly.

"What?"

"What's love to you? That's what answers the question. What do you consider true and faithful? If you do it with love in your heart, you don't become a monster to get your true love back. You find a better way to do it. Love conquers all. Love makes right. If you're doing something for love, there is no evil in it. Not if you REALLY have love in your heart."

"Well, aren't we poetic? I bet the girls go nuts for you back home, huh?"

"Too bad plural marriage wasn't allowed when I was alive, eh?"

"Right of Gods alone, I guess."

"Well, there you have it. Can I go, now?"

"So soon? I could find God in your hands, Ben. C'mon, we could be so holy. Zack always talks about how it feels so religious."

Throat, too, dry.

"But I have my orders. Proposal to make you, Benjamin."

"I thought we'd already done that?"

"Not quite. Let me make it clear for you . . ." She lowers her head and purrs the words into my ear. Gods, I can feel her heart beating. So hot, so hot. I never knew hot could mean so many things. NO! Can't give in! I'm going to get through this, and when I do, I'll tell Cuore how I feel about her! True love conquers all!

"Now then, do you understand the mission?"

"Yes."

"You won't let the good guys down, will you?

"No."

"Now, then, shall we?"

"No."

"Oh," she says, making a face that breaks my heart, "really? You're not interested?"

"Didn't we just talk about true love?"

"Didn't you say you liked to have sex for fun?"

"Didn't you just ask me what I'd do for that?"

"Didn't you say you'd spend eternity having _fun_ if you could? I could go _forever_, Ben."

"I don't love you."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"Fine. All I need is your word that you'll keep your promise to me."

"I'll get the job done. The good guys need me. I can't let them down."

"See? Doesn't hurt at all. You can go now." With that, she rolls off of me, and I breath freely. I give one sideways glance to the woman, shake my head, and then I'm off. The sun is setting, and we're almost to the most climactic moment in the entire Beach Episode.

And, of course, because this episode is going great, Cuore is in fact seated atop a cliff over-looking the crimson sea, the sun exploding in a burst of color, igniting the sky in a wondrous way that requires more whimsy to describe than I can honestly muster.

Gasping as I arrive, I call to her, and she turns to face me, her eyes sparkling in the twilit shine. She smiles at me, that world-ending grin of hers, and motions for me to come and sit next to her. I drop down beside her, not sure if I should cast my eyes into hers, or stare out at the sunset.

"Cuore," I say, after a long moment's silence. "I need to tell you something."

"Really, Benny? Can't you just be quiet and watch the sunset?"

I know that tone. That's the "I will hurt you if you don't do as I say," tone. I don't care. It needs to be done. It needs to say. I can't take this any longer. "No." I say to her, for the first time since we've met. "No, I need to tell you something."

"Then hurry it along," she groans, gesticulating toward the endless, fiery ocean before us. "The best part is just about to start!"

"Look at me," I tell her. From the way my voice firms as I speak, I guess she can tell something's up, and she turns to look at me. "I'm sick of you treating me like shit, woman."

"The hell're you-"

"And I'm sick of you thinking you're some kind of dominatrix who can boss me around kick me in all kinds of places and get away with it."

"Wh-"

"SHUT UP DAMMIT I AM TALKING!" My eyes are probably doing that super awesome scary thing people's do in big dramatic moments. "I swear to all the Gods in Heaven, if you EVER strike me again, with or without cause, I will rip you to tiny little pieces and make you wish they'd never dragged your sorry ass out of the hell-hole you came from."

"Ben, you're scaring me,"

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID WITCH!" I roar at her. "I am talking now, NOT YOU. All you do is hurt me. You strike me, you kick me, you scratch at me. You pull my ears, you hit me in the nuts, and I'm surprised you haven't stabbed me yet! What the fuck did I EVER do to you to deserve all this, huh, bitch?"

"Wha-"

"WELL? SPIT IT OUT, BITCH! You wanted to say something? DO IT NOW."

"I, I-"

"Do you, or do you not have anything to say for yourself?"

"N-"

"I DIDN'T THINK SO, BITCH." I grab her by the tiny string that runs on her bikini between her breasts. Not the best handhold, but the adrenaline prevents good judgment. "Now you listen to me, and you listen GOOD. I am sick of being pushed around. I am sick of women taking advantage of me, and telling me what to do. I am sick of other men treating me like I'm less than they are. I am SICK of people asking like I'm some second-string hero from some forgotten quest of days forgotten. DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"Y-"

"I DID NOT SAY YOU COULD SPEAK!" I rattle her for good measure. "Now you listen here and now. From the very first moment I saw you, from the very first second we met. From that moment onward, until this moment now, I have only thought one thing of you. I have only felt one way for you from the day we met on that boat. What you saw in Memoria wasn't a lie. All I have ever wanted to tell you is this, here and now," pause for dramatic effect. "Cuore of the Maenad, I have loved you from the time I first laid eyes on you, and I can't bear to think of being apart from you, now or ever. If you have ever, ever felt the same way, tell me now. Answer me, Cuore. Say you love me. Marry me."

Cuore stares at me a moment, her chest heaving along with mine, excitement charging the air. One second, two. And then . . .

She throws her arms around me, our lips uniting in a kiss that could burn out suns with its heat, our bodies slowly lying down in the sand. Gods, I love beach episodes.


	34. Chapter 34 Now You See It, Now You Don't

**Gilgamesh, Attorney at Law**

**Or something like that . . .**

Well, I, for one, enjoyed yesterday immensely. Massive waste of time that it was, it was worth it to spend the day relishing the joy of gravity, physics, biology and anatomy. Yes, a scientific triumph yesterday was. Making a note here, HUGE SUCCESS. But as time passes, it must be forgotten. Memories are chains which fetter the foolish fools foolishly to their folly. Pretty sure I read that anyway.

Today starts out pretty well, we all wake up, everybody's all smiles, minus the rube of a bookworm whose been crampin' our style since square one. Pretty sure we'll make it with or without the guy, but the pretty lady with the nice ass has made it quite clear that we're going to be bringing him along every step of the way. No clue why. Guess she trusts him or something. Meh.

Our direction today is for Comfortable. It's a town akin to those dumps where people leave the old to die. You know the type. Beige colored, floral patterned, cinnamon-scented. Everything is the way nobody wants, but nobody minds enough to say anything. Which is why this manner of place is, of all places, one of the worst.

Anybody who's everybody knows by now our quest is nearing its end. I've tired of insisting we level up or do some sidequests, because Lightning seems to feel like the adventure is best when it's just a straight tunnel to the end. No distractions, I suppose. I mean, there's a perfectly good coliseum on the way, but she's refused.

And of course, now we're bringing along another white-haired pretty boy, as if I weren't already covering the position. I mean, he seems one minute to think he's not at all interested in our adventure, and the next minute he's just kinda a bit too into it. Twinkle, twinkle little stork, I think I'll kill him with a fork. Okay, so the rhyming thing went out when Shantotto hit the scene, but you get the gist.

Now, ah, where was I? Gods, I hate narrating. Never been my strong point. I like quick, one-line statements followed by action. This bull of spelling everything out is not my favorite bovine. So yeah, we were well on our way by the time I notice anything is up.

"You all see that, up ahead?"

"The flashing lights?" Benjamin asks.

"Yeah."

"So what?" Cuore asks. "Whatever the hell it is, we can burn our way through it. We have to hit Comfortable before Branford slips through our fingers again."

"You're stupider than Cecil lets on," Firion says to her, "You want all of Heaven after us? Keep on blowing shit up till the Gods fall on you in one single body."

"Ah," Lightning comments, as though disinterested, "it's a blockade."

"Plans?" I ask.

"They know we're coming already," Arazlam states.

"I don't need YOUR plan. I want hers."

"His plan IS mine," Lightning barks in his defense.

"As you wish."

The pathetic little man puffs his chest at me, frowns, then says, "If they know we're coming this way, that can only mean they've got someone behind us as well. As Cuore said, but in not so many words, we're pressed for time. We've either got to bank on their not having enough men and skirt around the sides, or we'll have to try and break through their lines."

"That's the whole of our choices?" Firion asks. "Fine, then. Anybody here ever take down an entire army alone?"

I raise my hand, and, to my surprise, so does Benjamin. Huh, would you look at that. Apparently the kid's done some fighting of his own. And by the looks on the others' faces, I'd say they all saw that coming as much as I did. I shrug it off, then say, "Alright then, let's do this thing. We'll just waltz on in, smash their faces in, and call it a day."

"Heh," Lightning scoffs, "Always worth a laugh." She steps past me, drawing Omega. "On my count, then." Everybody readies their weapons and spells. I can swear somewhere in the background an epic song is playing, and I'm surprised Commandante Cute Ass doesn't make a speech. Guess she's not the type. "One, two, GET DOWN THEIR AND KICK THEIR ASSES IN!"

With that she streaks past us, rushing toward the blockade. DAMN she's fast. Even Cuore, who's flying, can't catch her. We rush down the hill after her, going as fast as we can, only to find ourselves, like her, stopping short when we see the blockade.

Thirteen men, dressed in heavy armor and black cloaks. The cloaks, draped about the armor, almost conceal it. The hoods pulled over twelve heads make it impossible for us to tell if they're wearing helms or not. The thirteenth man, however, has his helmet off and his hood down. His identity is all to obvious.

"Gilgamesh!" He shouts. "How long has it been?"

"Arthur, so nice to see you again."

The King strides past his men, his armor, heavy as it must be beneath the cloak, does not seem to slow him in the slightest. He makes a slight bowing gesture, then snaps his fingers. Lightning's body relaxes, and the cause of her kamikaze charge's sudden stop is revealed. Cute.

"You know, Gilgamesh, that you're being hunted across Heaven, correct?"

"I'm aware, yeah. Nothing new, really."  
"Did you find Necron?"

"No, the necrophobe's still on the loose."  
"Pity. You know why we're here, I presume?"

Did I ever. Arthur's been after my ass since time immemorial. You just say "Gilgamesh" and Arthur and his men will come running to burn every nook and cranny till they find me. The guy's had a stalker crush on me for so long we'd be lovers if either of us were into that sort of thing. Fact is, he's miffed cuz I've taken what was his, and I'm pissed cuz he took it back.

"We're both gentlemen, aren't we?" Arthur asks.

"You're a gentleman, you antiquated, public-domain, easily misinterpreted old relic."

"And you're a filthy cur, you extrapolated, equally public-domain, antediluvian fossil."

"Glad we've got things straight, then."

"As arrows." Arthur frowns, his blonde, anglo beard dipping as he shrugs. "But I have no time for words. I will explain my bargain, you will accept it, and we will settle this like men."

"Gods," Lightning groans, "shut up and let us beat the shit out of you already. I don't care what the back-story is here. We need through, and we need through NOW."

"You will keep the wench silent, I presume?"

"The girl's got a point. We're on a tight schedule."

"Then I will be blunt. A duel. You and I. Two weapons, my choosing, your choice. I win, you surrender to the Judges. You win, you all pass."

"Fine. Which weapons?" A duel, huh? This could get interesting. An epic showdown, one on one. Me and him, fighting it out to the after-death. Now that could be entertainment there. I can't resist an offer like that. No, sir.

"I believe you should be familiar with these." One of the knights behind Arthur brings two swords forward. They are identical in every way, minus a red gem in the hilt of one, and a blue gem in the pommel of the other. The broad, steel blade. The golden letters etched into the flat. The golden hilt, arched like a smooth "m" with the blade descending its middle, and the grip rising from the same. One is Excalibur, the other, Excalipoor. The question is:

"Which is which?"

"You seem so obsessed with **my** sword, yet you fall, all too often, for its fake."

"It doesn't help when you throw things like Caliburn and Caladbolg into the mix. Or people claiming the Mana Sword is Excalibur. Oh, and then there's this nonsense about an 'Excalibur II' I hear. If your sword were maybe a little easier to identify, I wouldn't have so much trouble getting it. And by the way? Not your sword. **MY** sword."

Arthur snorts, then gestures to his soldier. The cloaked knight brings the two swords to the area between us, and waits. "Now then," Arthur yammers, his voice like one of those guys trying to sell you half-an-airship or a robotic, talking chocobo on the auction house network, "One of your servants will retrieve the sword for you. You are, of course, free to choose whichever of the two you believe to be The Sword of Legend." The king frowns a moment, then points at Benjamin. "This knave will do nicely, don't you think?"

"Whatever you say. You just keep your damn NPC hands out of this. No tricks, understood?"

"You have my word that neither I, nor the men who serve me will deceive you."

"Fine. Kid, get me the red one."

"You sure?" the kid asks. "I mean, the blue one might be-"

"Kid. I'm only too aware that you have an opinion, okay? Now shut your mouth and get me that sword!"

The kid shrugs at me, then walks over to where Arthur's soldier has the swords. The two remain there for more than a moment, and I'm almost certain they're speaking. Something about that isn't sitting right with me. No way in hell the kid's gonna betray us right now, though.

"Hey, moron!" I shout, "What, is he good looking or something? Quit batting for the other side and get me my DAMN SWORD."

The knight hands the kid my sword, and the kid, with more than a bit of contempt on his face, hurls the blade my way as he walks back. Moving quickly, I catch the blade between the palms of my middle hands. As soon as I touch the sword, I smirk. Ah, yes. This one's the one alright. Been way too long, way, way too long.

"You familiar with that old question, Arthur? If a monster dies in alone in a forest, does somebody still receive its experience points?"

"I've heard this prattle before, yes."

"Well I'm here to tell you I _am_ that lucky son of a behemoth."

"Ha, this WILL be fun, then."

And without more to say than that, we rush each other. Arthur grabs the blade from his knight as he passes, and when the two swords strike, there's something akin to lightning flying from them. Damn, I'd forgotten how strong this guy was. But then again, I've got six arms, don't I?

Like a kung-fu movie gone horribly wrong, I use my lower arms to jab at Arthur, punching his armor and sending him flying backward. My best bet is to keep this guy off-balance the whole time. If not, well, we may have some trouble yet.

Arthur barrels forward with the speed and force of a train, and all of its turning capacity as well. I sidestep the King and take the chance to strike him in the back. He falls forward, and lands on his face. I'm over to him before he can get up, blade pointing at the nape of his neck. To my surprise, though he rolls over and bats my blade away with his own. And then, almost defying motion, he's on his feet.

I find myself, quite suddenly, on the defense, taking steps backward, just like the hairs of the head of many a receding hair-line. Slowly, year by year, I give ground up to the onslaught of age's balding glory. And then, like a young woman coming of age, I bud into the perfect love of a dying star, flaring forward with fury and force like the Gods have only dreamt. Arthur, however, does not give ground so easily.

The Great King ducks below one of my blows and rams his head into my chest. My lower arms grab his neck and I vault over him. Once behind, I, like a group of Malboros seeing a party low on HP and near to a save point, attack with no pity. Arthur roars in fury, and, turning, lands a kick to the side of my head, causing me to stumble in confusion. I try and clear my head, but the pain is akin to being forced to watch rabid townsfolk argue over which androgynous pretty boy is more powerful than any other. It is both needless and frustrating.

"You are not the man I once knew," Arthur mocks, deflecting one of my blows. "You used to be so playful, such a mocker! You were like a crow, or a raven, laughing as you fought. Now you are so cold, so serious. I wonder, are you Gilgamesh at all?"

"Ha! You would be surprised at how often I hear that." I charge forward, clapping quickly to stall Arthur's strike. I try to shove the blade backwards as I strike with my own, only to find him lifting me from the ground and tossing me aside like some kind of cheap trick.

"How'd you like that one? They call it the Nibelheim these days."

"Bah. To win with that your opponent would have to be toying with you."

"Oh, please, don't be jealous of another man's triumphs."

Frothing like any of a number of guys at a YRP concert, I make to attack his weak point for massive damage. This giant enemy crab, however, seems a little more historically accurate, and, with one fluid swipe, sends me flying again. At this point I'm more than just a little tired of being flung around by an antique like him, and I bust out the special moves.

"You do, however, seem much more vigorous. In fact, your fighting style has changed radically. Then there's the clothes, and well, honestly."

"What, can't a guy update himself every once in a while?"

"You always struck me as more the 'Classic' type."

"Yeah, well, when you're on the run, bright red robes and polka-dot pants don't exactly make for good camo. Learned that one the hard way."

"Ah. You ought to try one of these black cloaks. I hear they're quite popular amongst the young ones these days."

"Yeah? And here I was thinking that they were all into buckles and belts and zippers."

"Well, you know, the cloaks can include those, but we saved on the metal."

"Must be hard as hell getting past a detector with one of those on."

"You have no idea how agitating it can be to fight magnetic foes as well."

"Really? See, that's why I almost advocate fighting in the buff."

"Oh? Why don't you then?"

"Sometimes it can be humiliating for my opponent."

"Big words."

"Not the only thing that's big."

But enough chatter, let's get this over with. I'm not one for drawn out battles, so I need to end this now. The question is, how? Oh, yeah, special moves. Forgot that I was supposed to be using more of those. Okay, so, here we go . . . Arthur comes at me, barreling mindlessly as per usual, and I try my very own Quasi-Slash. That's like, four hits or so. Arthur counters with a Hepta-slash, to which I reply with Nirvana Strike.

Bouncing off my indescribably pink special energy beams, Arthur unleashes Really-Kook'n, and though his blade is all giant and flashy of a sudden, and I admit the hits are dazzlingly painful, but my own Riot Blade of Grass comes from left field, and his vision is impaired by that mop on his head. So then, like a lion frozen in the absolute irony of a cold stare by a pink princess' flan, Arthur attacks with an Underdrive I've never seen before.

By this point, I've lost my own mind in the list of ridiculous and impossible movements we've made, and I believe I can see the kid over there puking, just for trying to comprehend how unspeakably epic this battle has become. The surrounding area has burst into flame, and an angelic/demonic choir has taken to singing ominously in Ronkan, while rays of light pan the area. Here and there we strike poses from famous pieces of art as we duel in what can only be called the most spectacular struggle ever conceived.

But that has to end now. No more of this girly stuff. Now it ends. Arthur pivots on his heel and turns to face me. With roars akin to the noise women make when you hit them in just the right spot, we charge one another. And, like any good charge, we pass one another and stop. But it isn't that charge, slash and stop you normally see when two samurai face one another. Oh, no, this has a much . . . simpler explanation.

We've stopped because I rammed my sword through Arthur's spine. The tip protrudes from his chest, and he lets his own blade fall to the ground with a CLANG. He coughs, blood sliding down his lip like the juice of an exquisite, if fictitious, fruit.

"Damn you," he manages, "always going for the back."

"Men rely too much on that which they see. This, and no treachery, was your downfall." With these words I withdraw Excalibur from the man's body, letting him slide to the ground. His knights rush past me as I clean the blade, hoping to aide their fallen king. I merely cock my head in the direction of the kids and say, "Let's go. We're done here."

As we walk past the Knights of the Round, I smirk, point at Excalibur, and proclaim, "**MY** sword." It'd be great to be me, if that's who I actually was.


	35. Chapter 35 Godslaying Girl

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

Comfortable. Nice place, I guess. It's a quaint little village built of happy, unimposing suburban homes. The people in the streets are neighborly and friendly. One man is mowing the grass, another walking a dog. All very calm, and very quiet. We look out of place here, to say the least.

The home of Terra Branford is one robin's egg blue at the end of a street, tucked away in a corner. It doesn't take us long at all to find it. The house is neither opulent nor impoverished. It is, as the name implies, comfortable. There is something so mundane, droll, and normal about this place that, ultimately, it becomes pathetic that someone as mighty as Terra Branford should be locked in a place like this.

Approaching the house, we see several persons frolicking on the lawn, protected by a waist-high white picket fence. It's a nauseating sight, the absolute glee of this boy and girl as they roll about on the grass, laughing. Ultimately, their oblivious nature to everything around them only serves to allow me to realize just how desperately necessary this visit is. No one deserves this manner of prison.

When at last we find ourselves poised at the gate, the young couple cease to tickle one another and, letting their spasms subside, get to their feet. The boy, puffing his chest slightly, as though to intimidate, walks forward.

"Why, hello there," he says, a grin longer than the world is wide on his face, his breath still coming heavily, his face flushed to the color of a bright tomato. "My name is Duane, what's yours?"

"Lightning," I answer, refusing the outstretched hand. Jerking my head in the direction of the others, "Arazlam, Cuore, Benjamin, Gilgamesh and Firion."

The boy, taken aback by the rather curt dismissal, puts down his hand, looking sheepish all the while. He gives an awkward chuckle and says, "What can I do you for, stranger?"

"This is the residence of Ms. Terra Branford, is it not?"

"Whoo, you guys are a couple thousand years late, aren't you? This is the home of Mrs. Terra Figaro. The man of the house is away at the moment, but Terra has a guest. I suppose I take a message and pass it on to mom for you, though."

I'm not pleased by the answer. So I grab the man-boy's shirt and pull him real close to my face, eyes burning holes in his skull. "Listen up, boy. I need to speak to Terra, and I need to do it _yesterday_. If you don't let me through this picket fence, I will quite literally BURN my way to the woman and speak with her no matter HOW you feel about it, understood?"

"Right, I'll go check with mom." With that, I fling him backwards, and he stumbles off into the house. The girl, however, remains, with a very cross look on her face. I return her the favor. When, at last, she can't stare me down, she speaks.

"You shouldn't be so rude!" She says. "You keep that up and I'll call the local judges."

"Girlie," Cuore cooes, "When we're done here, you're going to need a LOT more than local judges to clean up our mess."

The girl takes a step back in what can only be fear. Hell, if I was her, I'd be afraid, too. Prissy little bitch living in luxury suddenly faced with Cuore and her Kefkasque smile. Yeah, I'd probably be running by now.

After a long minute, Duane comes back, nearly out of breath. He wheezes the matriarch's approval, for which I am less than thrilled. We kick the picket fence open and stride across the lawn. We reach the door and are guided by the couple to a humble parlor with a small coffee table. Seated on one sofa, leg crossed above the other, dressed in house-wife's dregs, is our lovely lady. The other, reclining on the other couch, slowly sitting up to see us, is one I am more than surprised to see here.

"Oh!" Exclaims Aerith Gainsborough, "You're here much sooner than I'd expected."

See, it's things like this that almost make me forget the prophecies made by eldritch abominations about having a traitor in my midst. What the HELL is she saying? "Sooner than I'd expected"? What the fuck does that mean? Things like that raise more than one red flag in my head. I'm about to ask her when Arazlam says something.

"We're hardly fools," He comments, "You cannot say something like that and expect us to believe this meeting is chance."

"Chance? I don't think anything really is. But Terra and I were just having a nice chat, that's all. Won't you join us?" Her gaze moves across each of us, and pauses slowly on Benjamin. Why, I don't bother to care to know. She smiles a smile that positively screams "bitch in nice girl's clothing," before suddenly addressing Firion. "So you're travelling with them after all? I'm nearly surprised, Firion."

"I haven't forgotten what we discussed, Aerith. I can't just HOPE thing's'll work out for the best, though."

"Oh, really? Well, I'm almost sad to hear that. I must be going, then. I have something rather important to finish before tonight." She turns to Terra, putting a hand on hers with another smile and says, "I'm sorry our chat's ended so soon, Terra. But I DO have to get going. You know how jealous Zack is. I don't think he'll ever get over that Cloud thing."

"Men can be that way. Jealousy is an emotion that drives them almost as much as infatuation. I'll see you soon, though."

With that, Aerith gets to her feet and makes to pass, but as she does, I slam a fist into the wall beside her, my arm blocking her path. I'm not that stupid, and I'm NOT that slow.

"Hold it. What the HELL are you doing here?"

"What, am I not allowed to visit my friends?"

"You know what I mean. First we meet you in The City That Never Was, and now here in A Comfortable Place. What's your angle."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're getting at Ms. Farron. I'm merely visiting my friends before we're called up for The Dissidia. Before The Day of Cid we received such short notice. Now we at least know it's coming. So I'm visiting friends before we're called in. Isn't that right, Firion?"

"She's not lying," Firion says. "That WAS what we were doing in The City."

Yes, because I trust YOU, Firion. Not much I can say in this situation, though. Have to just let it slide. Which angers me to NO end, but I can't really bother much with this. The Cids didn't say anything about Aerith, so I'll just have to assume she isn't important. FINE.

Aerith passes me, still smiling that DAMN smile, and, as she does, she slides a hand across Gilgamesh and says, "Nice sword," then, looking at Ben, "wouldn't you agree?" Neither of them responds as she leaves. When, at last, she's gone, we see Terra motion toward us.

"Sit. You've a lot to say."

We sit ourselves on chairs brought in by Duane. Each of us stares at Terra for a moment in sheer confusion. This is Terra? The God-Killer? She's just some housewife in with long, green hair. Hell, she isn't even wearing anything traditional for an angel. Just a pale red dress. Meh. Like I care.

"To what do I owe the honor?" Terra asks.

"We need your help," I begin.

"Oh, I'm aware of what you're after. I'd just thought I'd give you a chance to change your minds."

"What?"

"I will not help you. I will not let you activate Omega and kill Cid Lufaine."

"What the- why not?"

"Do I need to explain myself? I won't help you activate a force capable of killing The Gods so that you can slay the man who sustains reality. I will not help you in your villainous scheme."

"Villainous? The hell are you-"

"You're a villain, miss. If you think otherwise, if you claim to be good, if you apathetically dismiss good and evil, or if you simply claim you're above such things, you are a shameless liar. You are evil, and what you are planning is evil."

"Do you even KNOW what I'm planning?"

"Didn't I already say? You want to use Omega and kill Cid Lufaine. I KNOW."

"Then do you know WHY I'm planning this?"

"Do I honestly NEED to know?" Terra's expression becomes suddenly much darker than it hitherto had been, "I spent my childhood as Kefka Palazzo's plaything. I am DONE trying to understand what makes people do the things they do."

"You thankless bitch!" I shout, getting to my feet. This is NOT going the way I'd planned. "I'm doing this FOR you. For ALL of us. I'm going to free Cid Previa! When he's out, we'll-"

"Ha." Terra snorts in obvious contempt. "You mention The Scholar like I should be happy to help him out."

"Aren't you one of the good guys, isn't helping people out what YOU do?"

"I help GOOD people. And I've done enough to deserve this rest you are disrupting. Please, sit down," she says, her face regaining its composure, her attitude calming. "I don't want to help you end Eternity, is that so hard for you to understand? I am HAPPY here. I'm married to a fabulous husband, I have generations of descendants and friends who drop by to visit me and share their happy, shining faces. I have a modest, comfortable home. I am surrounded by love. I am dead. I am happy. I am at peace. Why in the name of all Gods would I want to help put this to an end?"

"Did I say thankless? You're a lazy, worthless bitch is what you are."

"Don't provoke me," she says. "You wouldn't like to see me upset."

"How can you just sit on your ass all day, while Cosmos tears Heaven in half to fit Her twisted view, abducts us from our homes to make us fight in Her proxy wars, sends your friends to The Void and holds the man who gave you a single, shining chance at freedom from it all as a puppet-captive? Tell me that!"

"You act as though I owe Cid Previa a favor, or should have cause to think of him with kindness."

"That man sacrificed himself to make sure your entire LIFE remains untouched by Kefka and Chaos. That man gave his very self to protect us all and was undone trying to make it so that never again would we be in peril of such fates! That man-"

"That man made of me a monster!" Terra roars, suddenly on her feet. "Did you LISTEN on the Day of Cid? Did you HEAR what they called me in that report? God-Killer! Do you know what it's like for everyone around you to suddenly look at you with fear, like you're some delusional freak, just waiting to snap and bring everything crashing down with you? All I have EVER meant to some people is this: A weapon. Well let me make something perfectly clear to you, Ms. Farron: **I AM NOT A WEAPON.** Can you understand that?

"All The Warring Triad cared about was how best to utilize magic, men and espers in their battles. All Gestahl thought when he slit my mother's throat was how much more useful I and my father would be to him than she would. All Kefka cared about, night after night, was how funny it was to have the most dangerous power in the world cringe in fear before him. All Bannon and the Returners saw was a sword they could use to deflect the empire's power. All Cid Previa saw when he made that choice was that I was a powerful, if dangerous weapon, and bomb he might plant in the wars to set Cosmos aflame should I ever be ignite.

"What did Locke see in me, after he went after Celes? What did Leo see, when at last he met me as something more than the weapon he, Celes, Kefka and Gestahl had been using for YEARS. What did Cosmos see in me, if not an ironic submission from a being She believes beyond Her own reach? What do you see in me, that you put my own wishes at less than the sword you carry with you? What has anybody ever seen in me, except the monster, and not the woman?

"Save the few, few friends I had in life, and the family I built hereafter, the whole of Heaven and Hell has always valued me, seen me, and feared me as if I were some manner of weapon. You might understand what it is to be a tool, or perhaps a puppet or a pawn, but you have NO idea what it is like to discover one day that no one, not a single person in Heaven, is not convinced that you are not a monster. Only my family looks at me without fear. Even my dear friends have become estranged since The Day of Cid.

"So tell me, Ms. Farron, WHAT do I owe to you and your Cid, who took so much from me, who stripped me of the cover and security of death in nothing more than a sniveling attempt at challenging Cosmos? I answer you this: I do not owe him anything, and if I ever DO meet the man, I will rip him to pieces until he restores the friendships he has tainted."

And then the rage breaks free at last. Without a thought for repercussion, my fist finds her face, and a swift, sharp punch is dealt. Terra does nothing to defend herself. Maybe she doesn't see it coming. I don't give a damn either way.

"You're full of shit, do you hear me? Quit your fucking crying and see the truth for what it is. You're pissed that all these years Cid Lufaine and Cosmos have been using you, and feeding you this sunny little reality, all to keep you sedated so you don't break free from their tyranny. And because you're upset, you blame The Scholar for having made this clear not only to you, but to everybody else."

"Get away from me." She says, looking at her feet, arms shaking by her sides.

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you over your incessant whining."

"I SAID GET AWAY!" Terra roars, flames bursting from her, hurtling into my stomach, and sending me crashing through the front door. While I'm down the others try to restrain her, to reason with her, but she flings them aside with ease. Even Gilgamesh and Cuore, who ought to be able to handle her, she sends flying into the walls.

I start getting to my feet when she kicks me in the stomach, then drops her elbow into my spine as I rise. I can hear my bones snap, and it's gonna take a minute to get up. This is going to be worth it. I'm gonna show this lazy bitch what she's been missing for the last twenty millennia or so.

"You want a weapon, huh? So did Gestahl, and look where it got HIM!" Terra gives another kick to my head and I'm tossed to the street like a rag-doll. Oh, HELL no. "Do you think you can control The Void? The Destruction Incarnate Kefka labeled me as he echoed the words of your precious Scholar? So did Enuo, and look where it got HIM!" She grabs me by my shirt, lifting me from the ground. It's only now that I get a clear look at her face. Terra is gone, now. Her skin is in shreds, her hair already an unearthly flame, while her skin has gone white with a red glow. I've heard of Esper Terra, but I've got to say, this is . . . much more than simply hearing.

"Take a good look, Farron," she growls, "This is what it's like to stare at Atomos. It's just hunger. Just consumption. All I want is to rip stuff up and burn it down. You ever feel angry? This is a hell of a lot worse. This isn't even blind rage. This is the want to destroy shit without the emotion that drives stuff. You want this? You covet this? Let me show you what it is you're after." And with that, she hurls me into the ground, punching me repeatedly, so much so I'm surprised my flesh can hold out. Or at least, I WOULD be surprised, if I could register something other than pain or anger.

"Well, do you like it? ARE YOU HAPPY TO SEE THE MONSTER YOUR PRECIOUS SCHOLAR FELT SO SORRY FOR?" Terra grabs me by the hair and swings me around, tossing me into the nearest house. I don't even have time to react before she's there. "See that? Odin's speed. And here's what Judgment Bolt REALLY feels like." Terra's clothing, or rather, what's left of it, shrivels as she grabs me with her hands and sends more than a million volts of electricity through my body. In Heaven, few things can kill you, but its experiences like this that make you wish they could.

"You can mock me with your might," I manage, "but it will never excuse your weak will."

"Weak will, huh? Don't lie to yourself, Farron. I've come a LONG way since being Kefka's favorite stuffed animal. This is beyond strength and weakness. This is just about creation and destruction. All I ever asked was to experience the joy of creation, and all you people ever remember about me is the capacity to destroy. Here, wanna see what I got from Crusader?" I'd rather not, but suddenly, I'm attacked from every angle, flames and shards of metal flying every which way, the miniature knives passing through me more than once.

I scream in pain, but that isn't enough for her. "They've sent us the GODSLAYER!" She roars, grabbing my face and unleashing a hellfire from her palm. "Rumors claim that the Choir of the Elohim sealed her away!" She's quoting The Cosmos Report. This won't end well. "Needless to say, if we restore the Godslayer for this war, we risk her escaping into Heaven, and if she does turn against the Gods . . . who can say? Terra is the only person to have ever challenged her God in battle and not be thrust down into hell!"

She grabs my throat, pulling my face close to hers, the fires her body exudes searing my skin as she growls, "Do I need to go on? It was needless to say that I could escape into Heaven and turn against the Gods. He planned this ALL ALONG." She throws me behind her, then, with that same impossible speed, kicks my neck, spinning my body around in air, shifting all my weight and making the landing CRUNCH much more audible.

"But here, let me say a little more. I've heard it TIME AND TIME AGAIN. How did it go? Oh yes, 'she may not even bother waiting for mere men like Bartz and Squall. Her friends often had to step back, because her attacks caused more destruction than expected.' Oh, and let's not forget the moment of great hypocrisy that was, 'We can't fool Terra, but if we do, it'll be okay!'"

"You don't have any idea the amount of pity he had for you, do you?" I ask, trying to get to my feet.

"I DON'T NEED HIS PITY. I WAS PERFECTLY FINE WITHOUT IT FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME."

"They cared about you."

"Even Cid Marquez said I was more terrible than darkness itself. The man KILLED MY FATHER and thought he had the right to pass judgment on me? They were monsters. Not I. Their epithets ranged from the poetic 'star of death' to the crude, 'if Terra goes wrong, there will be no Gods left.' Why? TELL ME WHY? Why should I help men like Cid?"

"Then don't do this for them. Do this for your children."

"How the HELL will this help my children?"

"Do you really think they'll leave you here forever, now that I've come here?"

"All the more reason to squash you beneath my heel."

"THINK Terra. If you help us, you don't have to fear them!"

"I don't fear them. _THEY FEAR ME._" She drags clawed fingers across my chest, then my stomach, and at last my waist. The cuts are so deep they rend my clothes from me, as well as cause a great deal of blood to begin to pour from me. Gods this is painful. How am I still standing?

"Then do it for love."

"THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!" Terra shrieks, punching me in the throat, then grabbing hold of my arm and tossing me into the ground. "Don't you feel it? The absolute lack of ANYTHING reason to this? We're just going through the motions. My body needs to hurt yours because THAT is how Omega works. There's no rhyme or reason to why we do things that we know are evil. There's no reason a good man commits adultery, even be it in his heart. But we all know that many do. There is no reason to kill another person, but look at how many we've all killed. You don't do evil for reasons, let alone for LOVE."

"You love your friends, don't you, and your family? You used to be someone, Terra. You were a woman who defended these people with your life. Now you're a coward again, running from the hand fate has dealt you."

"Look at me," Terra says, picking me up, one hand on my chin. "I am _tired_ of fighting. I am _sick_ of making people hurt. I have no more drive to do these things. I have no more adventures left in me. All I want is to stay home with my husband, whiling all eternity away in the company of the ones I love. Haven't I fought hard enough to earn at least that by now?"

"Then help me end the fighting, once and for all."

"The price you ask is too high." She drops me, and as I fall, delivers a roundhouse to my stomach, sending me into a nearby tree with enough force to not simply snap it, but shatter it.

"Then your love is too little. You don't care for these people. You simply care while it is convenient to YOU."

"You ask me to put their lives in danger, not my own. I would lay down what is mine to give. But to risk the afterlives of countless others, I cannot."

"Don't think of it that way."

"HOW DO I LOOK AT IT THEN?" She lashes back, tears streaming down her incandescent face.

"You're going to save the world one last time. You of all people should know this scenario only too well. Or are you, too, a hypocrite? What would have Kefka done to everyone had you failed? Did you consider that, then?"

"I-"

"How is this different? The same, that's what this is!"

"No-"

"Admit it, you're just afraid. Afraid of the fact that the thing you hate most in yourself is the thing that could most help you."

"SHUT UP!" Terra shouts, tackling me, ready to stomp me further into the ground. This time, however, I'm ready. When she throws her weight atop me, I fall backward, grabbing her heels and tossing her into the ground, giving me the moment to land atop her. Not missing a beat, I land a punch on her face, and then another. Before she can react, I flip off of her, touching ground a few yards away.

"You were supposed to BE someone. You were given a gift! Now look at you. A craven, cowardly excuse for a woman, lulled into security by the lotus of the Gods."

"Sleeping giant, eh?" she asks, cracking her neck as she gets to her feet. "Then let me shows you what it's like when you wake the giant up." With a noise as primal as it is feral, Terra slashes at the air, blades of green fire flying toward me. The Riot Blade. I parry with Omega, but the aftershocks remain every bit as strong.

"I've walked Heaven and Hell to get this far," I say, taking up the offensive at last, rushing her with Omega. Terra side-steps my slash, but I get in a kick before she can counter, "and I have to say: NEVER have I met someone as selfish as you. The Scholar gave himself up to save us from Cosmos' games. Bahamut was slain trying to defend the honor of you Summoned. Even Ramza Beoulve gave his eternal life to defend his people from the monsters we now fight."

For a moment Terra's hair returns to its greenish hue, her body's flames cease, and she stands before me a normal, naked woman. "Ramza . . . did what?"

Taking the chance to catch my breath (which is hard, since I'm pretty sure I've got at least one punctured lung), I answer, "Ramza was slain by Dysley and the Confessors in an attempt to save his people. You knew Beoulve?"

"Of him." Terra responds, "I knew of him. Anybody who knows Vaan knows about Ramza. They, along with Marche, are part of a special line of men crafted by Faram. Vaan and Ramza are their own relative claims to fame. You mean to say-"

"Open your eyes! Can't you see it? Dysley is purging Heaven, and Cecil is leading the Judges toward certain doom. All of this because of Cosmos, and all that She does, She does because of Cid Lufaine."

Terra's face contorts in anguish for a few seconds, then explodes in flame again, reverting to her Esper form. "I don't CARE. I won't let you use me! When they come here, I'll face them. But until such time, I won't bother. I'm DONE with these stupid wars. I'm DONE fighting other people's battles. I. DON'T. **CARE!**" She dashes forward again, then disappears. A moment later I feel her fist connect with the back of my head. Before she can strike again, though, I whip around and try to get in a punch of my own. She blocks, then tries to counter. And so we begin a kind of dance, she and I, both of us attacking, blocking, and countering, neither one getting in a hit. I have to wonder, though, just how long I can keep up. I'm broken and crumpled, and I've barely even managed to touch her.

"You mean to tell me you'll just stand by as Cosmos overthrows all the Kingdom of Heaven, sending your friends one by one to a fate worse than Hell?"

"No," she answers, "No, I won't LET Her. I can protect EVERYONE!" Terra fires several thousand rounds of Holy at me, and I've nowhere to run. Thinking on my feet, I spin in a circle, flailing Omega about as I do, deflecting, just barely, the shots. Before I can counter, though, she's chaining Meteor and Flare, and there's no hope of escaping the attacks as they come. I try to do whatever I can, but as the first flames collide, I feel my very skin erupt in energy. Shit! She's throwing in Ultima, just for laughs!

"Witness what it means to be destroyed, Farron. You cannot POSSIBLY want this." I make to respond, but before I can answer her, she's on top of me again, her foot crushing my throat completely, meaning I'll lose consciousness any moment. Not good not good not good not good. "Say it. Say it Farron. I want to hear you say you don't want to use me as a weapon. I want to hear you claim you have some better intention. They always did. Let's hear you say yours."

"I" mind going blank, "I'm," nothing else comes to mind, "I'm doing this, for a friend," starting to lose my grip, "I'm sorry."

And with that, Terra reverts to normal. Her chest rises and falls as she stands over me. She removes her foot from my throat and extends a hand to me. Her eyes no longer burn with that same hatred, that uncontrollable anger. She looks . . . calm. "That," she says, "is the first time I've ever heard someone be honest about it. You want my help? I'll give it. You've had a taste of what you're asking for. If this is indeed what you want, then I will help you." She pulls me to my feet, then leans in and says, "But Gods have mercy on you if this hurts my family. Because, if it does, I will have none on you."


	36. Chapter 36 Omega's Girl

**CODENAME: LIGHTNING**

Journey's End. An unusual location, and one that is, undoubtedly, not going to show up on your maps. Like Memoria, the place seems composed of memories of adventures, though here the memories are of the ends, and not of the lives of persons. It is a curious, and occasionally depressing sight. It's a place I'm hoping we can leave very, very quickly.

It isn't hard to find The Cids, nor is it difficult to locate Omega. They're the only living things in the landscape, and they're sitting atop a large, metallic spider. I wonder which appears stranger, to any who might observe this scene? The Chronicler, Engineer, Wanderer and Messenger seated atop a machine forged before The Gods, or the rag-tag group of poorly-united adventurers advancing upon them.

I'm uneasy as Hell walking through this place. I don't like having Firion and Terra behind me. Especially not Terra. It took pretty much every White Magic spell Arazlam knew to fix me up after the rage she unleashed in Comfortable. The others skulk further back, very much afraid of ME after their inability to lift a finger to my aid during those moments. And they've got every reason to be afraid.

As we draw nearer, I can see Chronicler beaming at us. Engineer retains his normal, mournful look, along with Messenger, and The Wanderer's face remains as contemptuous as the last time we met. I, for one, am comforted to see them. Even if Omega is one terrifying piece of machinery, it's good to see the only sane men in Heaven again. But as I look at Chronicler's smile, something odd seems to twitch at the corner. It must just be my imagination, though, and nothing more.

"Ah, children, it is so good to see you again!" Chronicler says, hopping down from Omega's hulk. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come."

"They've finally shown?" Wanderer asks, "Did they bring the Beauties?"

"Aye, looks t' me li' they did."

Something in my spine tingles. I can't shake it, but Omega just _bothers_ me to see. Suddenly, almost making me jump, a hand rests upon my shoulder. Lips by my ear whisper with a voice I'll be haunted by for all eternity, "if I don't come back from this, nothing will ever justify what you have done to my children." Gods, the more she talks, the more she sounds like an animal and less like a person. Maybe she's just trying to come off this way, I mean, we ALL see her as a weapon for our cause.

"Just keep your pants on this time," I hiss.

We fan out before the Cids, who present themselves in a neat line. At long last we've come to the moment for which I've toiled and wasted, since LONG before we made our attack on Bahamut's Lair. At long last, Omega's power will be in my hands!

"Ms. Branford, Ser Firion, how kind of you to join us."

"Did we ever have a choice?" Firion asks.

"I say we still do. I have half a mind to rend open your entire scheme here and now," Terra says, her voice very, very angry.

"Terra, we're all friends here, aren't we?" The Messenger asks.

"Gee, Cid, I used to think so, before I found out that, for all your penitence, I remained ever your favorite weapon."

"Hey, scene stealers," Gilgamesh barks, "more important things here than your petty feuds."

"What did you say?" Terra asks, whipping around to face him.

"I said your little personal problems can wait. Heaven and Hell are at war. You're on your way to the next Dissidia whether you like it or not, so for the LOVE of whatever Gods you may still worship, SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND GIVE US A HAND."

"You know, don't you?"

"Not all of it. But I'll be damned if I don't find out. Now please, we're nearing the climax."

"Fine. Let's do this, then."

Kramer smiles broadly and spreads wide his arms, "This is no occasion for violence, friends! This is a great moment, one for which all of you have striven during Life and Death. Now come! The procedure is relatively quick and simple. Ancient Magic tends to be so. Real, true ancient magic, that is. It's sort of a mountain, you see. You go back and things get really complex, but if you go further back they get simpler. This is because-"

"What my friend here wishes to say is that we're near to the end. If you would all be so kind as to allow our Beauties to mount The Beast."

"Hehehe, Beauty mounting the Beast," Benjamin laughs to himself. Cuore raises a hand to whack him, when, at a sudden stare from him, she lowers her hand slowly.

Ignoring these insipid exchanges, I give Terra and Firion a light shove forward, to send them climbing the beast. They cast a backward glare, then a look one at the other. Firion offers Terra his hand, and she, in an act totally different from the violent monster I've thus far seen, accepts it. Hand in hand they climb the magimechanical monstrosity. The Cids direct them to an opening along it's spine, roughly large enough for two people to enter. Granted, for someone as strong as she is, Terra is pretty slim. Ultimately, they lie themselves down, and Pollendina closes the opening above them.

Kramer attracts our attention to himself, asking, "Are you familiar with something called Proof of Omega?"

"Badge you get when you survive an encounter with Omega. Relatively few adventurers receive them. Ironically, most of them have been involved in Cosmos' Dissidiae."

"Excellent response, Mr. Gilgamesh. Now tell me, what is 'Absolute Virtue,'?"

"An unfair and impossible to win Hopeless Boss Fight."

"Now, now, ser. A real answer, if you would."

"No idea."

"Then let's have The Messenger explain it, shall we?"

The Messenger looks up from where he is working away at Omega's hull. What he's doing is beyond me. All I know is that my hand is itching for the moment Omega's power becomes mine. Any moment now . . . any moment . . .

"Absolute Virtue is the power held by the reigning deity of all. It is, essentially, the power to do anything."

"Now what if I told you that the Proof of Omega were a similar, if smaller power? And that this Proof, as you know, must be obtained through defeating Omega WEAPON?"

"So you're saying to use Omega's power, somebody has to defeat Omega, first?"

"Yes. Granted most "Omegae" that people meet are nothing more than variants sent out by this original to find and destroy Shinryuu. It follows, then, that one who obtains that Proof of Omega would obtain only a fraction of Omega's power, since that Omega was only a fraction of the real thing."

"To date, the only persons to defeat THE Omega are Shinryuu and, through Him, Garland."

"Exactly. So, to beat someone who is more powerful than even Omega, Garland, and Shinryuu, you will first NEED Omega's power."

"We covered this ages ago," I say, hoping against hope that where this conversation is leading isn't where I THINK it's leading.

"Too true. But let's extend that to its logical ending then, shall we? You need Omega's power. Omega's power is obtained via Proof of Omega. Proof of Omega is awarded to those who defeat Omega. Which then means."

"We have to beat Omega."

"Almost. YOU," he says, pointing at me, "must defeat Omega. If they help, its power goes to them, too."

"Well, I fer one am glad t' be don' wi' this explanation. 'Cuz 'e be wakin' up!"

We look past Kramer to Pollendina, who is jumping from Omega, followed quickly by Margrace and Marquez. The mechanical spider's eye has opened, and it's getting to its feet. The spider makes no noise as it gets to its feet, but I can hear a vaguely muffled screaming coming from within.

"What's going on inside it?"

"Exactly what you were told would happen: The Beauties are becoming one with The Beast again," Kramer explains as the screaming grows in volume.

"They're in pain! They sound like they're dying!"

"They already _are_ dead, how could it get worse? And let us recall, they belong to Omega, the afterlife it claims from them is not their own to begin with."

"That's horrible."

"That's the power you sought, was it not?"

And so I shut my damn mouth. Nothing to say there. My stomach lurches once within me, then I turn my attention to Omega s it looks at me. I brandish the shard of the beast I've claimed as my weapon, furrow my brow, arch my shoulders, and ready for something way harder than the fight against Terra was.

I am not disappointed. Omega's sides burst open, and six miniatures of it pop out, each one rolling at me, after only seconds of the awkwardness a new life-form passes fresh from the womb. Omega itself fires an atomic ray right off the bat, and I avoid it only by seconds. As I dodge, though, the infant Omegae are latching onto me, holding me in place for their Mother's attack. Omega fires again, this time finding me incapable of escaping. The flaming ray of energy burns me to the point where, had I not already been dead, I would have been vaporized. Still, for something that can end Gods with ease, I suppose it's playing easy. Which is laughable, since it nearly melted my face off just now.

"That the best you've got?" I mock as the melted skin on my face begins to regrow. Gods, I'm glad Arazlam is back there spamming healing spells, because otherwise this'd last forever. "I've had boyfriends who hit me harder than that."

Ungoaded, Omega merely advances, raising one of its clawed legs to strike me, sending me, and the Omega-larvae crashing into the ground. Before I can get up, Omega fires another atomic ray. I'm pretty sure the damn thing's just set my hair on fire, from the smell. Groaning in pain, I get to my feet. When I do, though, Omega fires several wheels from within itself at me, knocking me back down.

Next I find myself forced to my feet by the Omegae its respawned. One of them bites down on my wrist until I let go of the Omega Weapon, which the others then carry back to The Mother. As they do, Omega fires another volley into me. Again the larvae force me to my feet, and again it repeats the process. It's methodical, though. Not an ounce of malevolence, nor anger, nor passion, nor any other emotion emanates from this thing.

Terra was wrong; she had tried to emulate dispassionate destruction, but her own, loving, feeling side permeated that, and she held back. Omega is not. The sudden blade through my stomach is a pretty good example of it. Gods, another atomic blast! I'm on the ground now, my internal organs regrowing from yet another cure spell. If it weren't for that, Omega would have put me down by now. As it is, I'm not sure I understand how I've survived this long. No sword, so now what?

Omega doesn't seem to mind. Then again, she doesn't seem to be at all upset that I'm bleeding out my intestines, either. For that matter, I'm not sure Omega is a She, and I'm not sure SHE has a mind. The ensuing carnage is beyond my capacity to describe. Mostly because the larvae have burned my eyes out. And as Arazlam heals me, it only serves as a sort of punishment for me. They just burn away anything that's been healed. GODS IT HURTS.

"Did you ever hear of the crime of Klu Ya?" Kramer asks. How I can hear him over the sound of my own screaming is beyond me, as the Larvae are gnawing off my ears just as quick as the Cure spells can regrow them. "Klu Ya took the proverbial Fire of The Gods, the knowledge of Lunaria, and gave it to the men of the Blue Planet. Zemus, seeing all from his prison on the moon, incited the people to slay this man. His plan was to build up Golbez and Cecil and do this to them, as well. This was Garland's original plan, too, to spend all eternity killing and being killed by the Warriors of Light. I believe, now, that you can relate to this. To the fear that drove Ultimecia to attempt time compression, and the reason Kuja welcomed death's embrace. You must be able to feel it, now: the pain which consumes every fiber of your being, save it be my voice. And you know it in yourself: this cannot be allowed to continue. Your friends won't let you submit to death, and if you fight, the pain will only grow worse. This you must overcome. Only then can we free The Scholar and save Heaven from the tyranny of Cid Lufaine and Cosmos.

"You are our only hope, child. Do not fail us now."

Can I just take this moment to ask why? Oh, sure, my breasts have just been ripped open for the larvae to burrow into my lungs and those damn cure spells only helped seal them inside, but since constant agony has driven me to insanity, I really would like to know: Why the fuck does everyone insist I do this? You know what? I'm beyond moral reasoning at this point. I'd say even I don't know why I'm planning on killing the God of the Gods of Gods, and I'd readily retire my "doing this for a friend" catch-phrase, if it weren't for this nagging feeling that I NEED to do this. And I just don't know WHY. And as I begin to vomit Omegae and blood, one ripping out my tongue as it goes, I realize that all eternity I have been labeled this or that by people and I am fucking sick of it.

So was Terra, and look where my greed got me. I wonder if she's still in there, laughing at me? Then again, given what they're doing to me, Gods know what happened to Firion and Terra inside that _thing_. I'm being constantly torn apart and sowed together again. I'm really, frankly tired of that. I'm tired of the Cids and their fatherly ways. I'm sick of Gilgamesh and his obsession with my ass. I'm sick of Arazlam and his DAMN Cure spells! Why won't he let me DIE? I'm sick of Cuore and her bloodlust. I'm sick of Benjamin and his refusal to realize we're the bad guys. I'm sick of Kain and his need to think every sin can be forgiven. I'm sick of Heaven and it's pretending to be holy. I'm sick of Hell and it's pompous overdoing of the bad in everybody's nature. I'm just sick, sick, sick of it all.

And in the midst of all this pain, I remember only one person who I can say was completely undeserving of my hatred. Was that Ramz- NO IT WAS THE SCHOLAR. Gods, what? Whatever, my head hurts, probably being split open and then resealed that's doing me in. So fuck it. Time to tear this mother-fucking, robotic, pre-eternal, piece of shit apart limb from limb.

One of the larvae tries to grab my face, and I crush it in my fist. As the one in my lungs bursts forth, I snap it in two. I rip them off my legs, and my shoulders, and my sides, and I stomp them as they come at me. When I've cleared enough of them off of me, I growl more than anything else, and lunge at the monster. Not sure what I plan to do, but fuck planning. I'm just going to take this thing apart. Gonna crack the crunchy outside and drink the gooey innards.

Omega fires volley after volley of atomic rays at me, and though I burn, I've learned that Arazlam will not, under any circumstances, cease to heal me, so I just push through it, quite literally. My face burns off, the skin peeling as I step forward, only to regrow moments later, then be burned off again. What I must look like at this moment I can't say, but I don't honestly give a damn. Worst case scenario, at least my ass will still appeal to Gilgamesh.

For the first time since it ate up two people and started to rend me with its fury, Omega makes a sound. It sounds something like a squawk, and if it could feel, I'd say it was surprised. Weren't expecting this, were you, bitch? Well that's what you get for pulling your punches. C'mon. They say you've got what it takes to kill the man who maintains reality, so how about you SHOW IT OFF, EH? No? Fine by me. You're all talk, then, slut.

Omega charges forward, and when it does I make a grab for the forelegs. I spread wide my arms and just barely manage to grab them both. Putting every fiber of my being into the next move, I assert my muscles in pulling the legs together, even as Omega strongly resists. I just pull and pull, even as the hulk falls down on top of my, nearly crushing me beneath its weight. At last I hear the long awaited SNAP, and the legs break off. It makes a noise like pain, but this must also be a mere ploy. I know it can't feel, so I won't dare be fooled by something so cheap as pretending to be in pain.

"This is for us to win the war," Marquez says, somewhere in the distance.

"No," I answer, crawling out from under the struggling Omega, my left eye finally growing back. I'm speaking mostly to myself, but then, I could just be hearing their voices in my head, going nuts from the pain. But I can't go crazy. Insanity is becoming only of the weak. And I won't give in to such luxuries as insanity and death, no matter how enticing. "Not for me. There is no war for me to win any longer. This is about destruction, and Gods have mercy, because when I am through with this, I won't have any left for any one." Wielding Omega's leg I begin to club the monster as it writhes in vain. It tries to get away, and the one eye rolls back to stare at me in fear. No, not fear. It can't be afraid. It doesn't feel.

I bash and I bash and I bash at it. I recall my cold-blooded murder of Garland, and I just let myself fall into the same berserk rage I felt them. Omega begins to crack, proving that the only thing that can end destruction is destruction itself. I let a laugh escape my lips at this. For all Shinryuu's machinations, and for all Cid Lufaine's power, I am the one who has at last hurt destruction itself. Take THAT Goegnuo.

And that's when it fires at my face in a desperate bid for freedom, temporarily blinding me as it bursts into pieces. When I clear my eyes, I see that it's rebuilt itself into a more centaurian form, wielding my sword in its hands. Fine, if it wants to play it that way, I'll be just fucking peachy. I've got one of its legs, what more do I need? Bring it on.

Omega WEAPON rears on its hind legs, brandishing the blade high in the air, then gallops forward. It strikes at me, but while stronger, Omega's height makes it harder for the attack to connect, and the sword is shorter than the leg, giving me the advantage in reach, if not in force. Fine, I can make this work. I can do this. No need to worry. Omega can't win. I can. I wouldn't enjoy winning. I will.

The blade connects with the leg in a cling that sends a tingle down my spine. Oh, no, that's just a remaining larvae slitting me open. I grab the son of a whore and rip it in pieces with my mouth. No idea how my teeth can do that. Don't care. Just need to destroy this monster. Not really worried why, just that I want this thing to DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE. Oh, no, I know why. Because I hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE IT AND WILL MAKE IT PAY FOR BRINGING ME SO MUCH PAIN!

The Omega-Centaur springs at me, and while it comes I run forward and kneel down, ramming the leg up as I do. The leg pierces the underside, and the monster guts itself on its own limbs. The parts fall down atop me with a crash that ought to split my skull open. The pain just makes me more frustrated, and I burst from within, pushing through the wreckage to find what remains of the more humanoid part of it. When at last I do, the thing pulling itself away with its arms, looking back at me in I'm sure must be what it thinks I'll take as surprise, it shouts in fear, the voice much more believable than the previous form. To shut the damn thing up, I kick it in the face, then slam my foot down on its throat. It grabs at my leg, wrenching at it in an attempt to breathe. I drive my foot down harder. At last I hear the CRUNCH of its bones shattering beneath my heel, but to be sure, I begin to stomp repeatedly, flattening the long-since unmoving body.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Is this laughter mine? I don't know. I feel GREAT though. The thing that had been bringing me pain beyond pain is gone. Oh, and how wonderful do I feel!

"You are familiar with Cecil Harvey?" Kramer asks, "How he had to slay his doppelganger to proceed with his quest?"

"It appears the same now applies to you," Margrace says. I turn around and, sure enough, rising from the shards of the beast are various bits and pieces that, ultimately are making themselves into me. At last they cease and, after a moment, become a near perfect replica of me. The skin is a different tone, and the hair is white, with the body clothed in black, Omega held in her hands, but otherwise, it's me.

_i am omega, i have become perfect, and will terminate my objective effective immediately._

"Oh really?" I ask, "Think you're gonna get away with pretending you're me? This some kind of metaphor, eh? Not gonna cut it, bitch. I've torn you apart twice now, what's one more?

_you don't factor in. when we are done, all is done. you do not frighten. there is no fear._

"Let's dance then."

So I grab the nearest pointed fragment of Omega and charge the Not-Me. Our weapons collide and our faces press together, forehead to forehead, as we attempt to kill one another. Omega falls and punches me in the stomach. As I lurch forward, I bring my elbow down on her spine, sending her into the ground. We wrestle briefly, then break one away from the other, backing away step by step.

_you will be replaced. there is no need for something weak like you. strength must dominate. exterminate._

"Yeah? Well here's a bit of news for you: YOU'RE the one who'll be exterminated!"

So we come at one another again, her mechanical imitation of my soul, locked in a struggle to determine which of us is the REAL Lightning, and which one of us will have the privilege of putting this pathetic excuse of a universe to an end. Does her imperative drive to destroy outstrip my blinding rage, or is my fury more powerful than her dispassionate destruction?

Omega strikes me in the shoulder, and I stab her in the thigh. She pulls free from my blade and then, with amazing speed, is behind me. Before I can turn, the sword is bursting from my chest, filling me with a pain so excruciating it borders on sensual. I can't tell if I'm moaning in pleasure or shrieking in agony any longer. Probably both. My body has been rebuilt so many times in the last twelve minutes that I can't even say if any part of me remains that before was not present.

"You're still holding back," I laugh, blood sliding down my jaw.

_i can't help it. feel different. never was an i before. something is different._

"Good for you. But you aren't supposed to have mercy. I won't."

_ERROR: mercy unknown._

"Exactly." And so I pull myself off the sword and, in the same fluid moment, backhand the bitch, sending her spinning to the ground. Omega twirls and breaks her fall with a hand. This same hand she uses to spring back to her feet and kick me in the jaw. I stumble backward for a moment then, in nothing short of bestial fury, I leap toward her, casting the sword aside.

_What is "love"?_

"Something you can't feel. Nor do you feel hate, nor joy, nor sorrow, nor pleasure, nor pain," I mutter as I shove her to the ground, then straddle her. I raise a fist and punch her in the face. Strange that she doesn't resist.

_I don't? But I hurt now._

"You don't know what HURT MEANS," I say, socking her again and again, blood bursting from her pseudo-angelic face. I don't stop. I can't stop. She would have done the same when we began. And she herself said she was going to replace me. Me or her. This is fair, then.

_I have to destroy you. It isn't personal. It's a part of my job. I have to make certain the rot doesn't fill the forest. I have to maintain clean what is constantly filling with impurity, that's all._

"Stop saying 'I'! You aren't! You're just a machine made to destroy! You either feel or you don't! NOW SHUT UP AND DIE!"

_I don't want to die. Please, stop._

"No. No, I won't!"

_I've never felt before. This is new to me. This is special. I didn't know I destroyed this. Please, don't take this from me."_

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! DIE DIE DIE DIE!"

_Please, have mercy._

**NO.**

"I'm . . . so . . . sorry . . ." it says as I rip its throat open with my bare hands, exposing the pulsing false flesh within. The pulse slowly ceases after a period of erratic spraying of reddish mist at me. The chest beneath me quits heaving so rapidly, and the hands holding MY sword go limp. I feel my body go cold, but a laughter shakes me anyway. And so, victorious, I rise.

I walk toward The Cids, leaving the carnage and wreckage behind me. When at last I reach them I come up to Kramer and say, "Get the Hell out of my sight. I'll get you back your Scholar. But I don't want anything to do with you people any more. When I let him free, I'll do to him what I did to her. Then, if I ever see you bastards again, so help me, I will do to you what she did to me. Gods have mercy on your rotted, corrupt souls, because the _minute_ I listen to you bastards about anything ever again, I swear on whatever power remains, _I will not have any on you._"


	37. Chapter 37 Insomnia

**LIGHTNING**

I'm trying to sleep now, and I can't. My body hurts in ways that, when I think I'm about to sleep, I snap to, finding Benjamin or Gilgamesh holding me, telling me I've been screaming and flailing. Gods, I don't know why. I don't cry on Gilgamesh's shoulder when he holds me, no, that's just the pain making my tear ducts irate, that's all. I don't feel sad any longer, or afraid. I just feel pain and anger.

We're nearly to The Sacred Nebula now. The Cids tried to persuade me to stay, first, tried to apologize, to talk to me. I punched Kramer so hard his nose bled. Then they didn't say anything at all. Oh, Gods, why am I even here? I just need to think for a minute. But I don't want to think about all this. So what DO I think about? I'll try and remember my motivation, my hope, my goal. That'll give me some drive, right?

You know what? I don't want to do this right now. I don't know how I feel about The Scholar any more. I mean, he was like a father to me, the man in the cloak who instructed me every step of the way. He helped me through the darkness. Long before Kain and I had hit our rut, he helped me over come weakness. And because of him, and his guidance, here I am, mightier than any other.

Proof of Omega was no object. No, but the sword itself is the proof. Now no one can lay claim to it but I. It's power is active, and I wield it. I wield it with the wisdom The Scholar taught me. He was the light which, not by burning force, but by soft glow, lead me through the dark times. And when She took him away from me, I woke up.

Cid Previa and I have met face to face so very few times. Was it just once? Raem's ravages on my memories have left this fact a bit fuzzy. But The Scholar helped me step by step. His instructions from afar exposed the rank and decay in Heaven to me. He opened my eyes, and showed me the sins of The Gods. He taught me, also, my own inner might. He gave me Omega, and put destiny in my hands. I owe him nothing but my thanks.

The man has done more for me in my death, than any other angel, spirit, demon or God. He was beyond reproach to me. Just thinking of him sent happiness run through me. He comforted me in a moment of absolute despair, and gave me that one light that can never be extinguished: Hope. He taught me to spread it, from person to person, until all could hope for a better tomorrow.

When I began, that was the goal. Free The Scholar and give hope to all those who I encountered. I was going to be the greatest hero Heaven had ever known. Even when The Day of Cid occurred, my goals remained unaltered. Obsidian had given me the resources to begin my quest, and Cosmos had provided the catalyst. All I needed was this. This was that to which I aspired. This was the beginning of my journey. In the end, I had yearned for these days.

After a while, I began to research this man, and I discovered that this man, to whom I was protégé, was a myth and legend in Heaven and Hell. An elite who could go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Not even The Highest bothered with him. His charisma impelled him always forward, from God to God, and his track record was nearly perfect as a planner of Dissidiae. No one could touch him. Many had sent after him after being defeated by the perfect wars he planned. Not a one succeeded. I became awed by this man no one could manipulate, use, or push around. He was free of fear, and The Gods couldn't order him to do anything he didn't want to.

I craved that. I lusted for it. I needed it. I needed to be that. I sought in the beginning to emulate him, to follow his teachings. I suppose I was a bit naïve, but my enthusiasm won the respect of Obsidian, and I quickly surpassed the others he called upon to fulfill little missions here and there for him. I was a star in the organization, and I used my prowess to cultivate chances of rising higher in his sights. His favor was my drive, my reason, my need.

I was having a torrid affair with the entire concept of Obsidian, loving every moment of it, and reveling more than just a little in doing things I wasn't supposed to. It filled my chest with a fire beyond description, the knowledge that I was subverting this or that vile scheme of The Gods, who hoped to prey on their defenseless, powerless angelic subjects. I was a hero. I was the good guy. It felt wonderful.

None of that matters now, though. No, now it isn't worth the spit of a cactuar in a rainfall. Because I've lost my motivation for action. I've thrown away the justifications, dreams, and moralizations. I have forgotten the rationalization, and the reason. Logic I have surrendered to my one remaining urge, my singular protective feature.

No more do I dream of a better Heaven and an end to Hell. I don't care about usurping the tyranny of The Gods, and I don't have the time to think anything through. Maybe I'm just running away from the thoughts that would otherwise weaken me, but I have one, and one purpose left me now.

To destroy. I will put this to an end. I will stop this all. When I am done, there will be peace. The wars will come crashing down, and at last, whatever remains, will be forced to lay down its arms and submit to peace. I will burn down every city, overturn every castle, slaughter every angel and mangle every God who stands between me and Cid Lufaine. I will set right what He has let go wrong. And at long last, justice will be given.

Do I care what befalls everyone else? Not really. They never cared what would befall me. So I will bring down Cid and Cosmos' world, and I will do it with the most glorious and magnificent crash I can. I used to care. I can't deny that. For whatever reason, I believed The Scholar, let him sweep me off my feet and carry me this far. That I must have felt something akin to "love" for him I don't refute. Love being a memory to me, merely something which my mind recalls, but, if asked to, I could never explain to you. I doubt I'm capable of feeling it any longer.

Ha! Listen to this tripe. Waah, I can't feel love. Seriously? What crap. This is why Heaven hunts me. Even I can't stand how abhorrently pathetic I get when I start thinking. Thinking is for the weak. It allows for too much doubt, and in the end, that undoes us all. So I don't care about love, hate, or anything in between. I'm no poet, dammit, and I never have been. I'm a killer, that's all I ever was to them. Among The Cids, only The Scholar ever saw me as more. Since he's left they've had me as their hitwoman, offing this and that enemy in their way.

Well fuck that. If they want to take over, let them, but the minute they come near me, I will rip them apart. I will never forgive what they did to Firion and Terra. Not that I knew or liked either of them, but Terra's concern for her children has left me . . . unnerved. It reminds me of how I felt when I held Benjamin that night. It reminds me of what Gilgamesh said the night he told me he was the traitor. I, I don't know. Gilgamesh tried to warn me that The Cids would betray me, but I don't know about them, either. I'm sure I've overreacted, but I don't much care at this point.

So let's talk then, huh? Men, for me, have been nothing but failures one after another. Far as I can recall, no man has ever done me right. And I'm not particularly interested in women, so yeah. And that's even beyond sex. Outside my sister and a select few others, can't say I know any woman I really liked. Hell, come to think of it, this universe has been needing to end for far too long. Maybe I'm just willfully ignoring the good in others, though. Who, then. Who have I ever met that was beyond my ability to reproach? And I don't honestly give a damn if I've the right to judge or not. I'm me. I'll judge all Heaven if I want.

Come to think of it, there is one man. One whose name I can almost recall. His face stands clear before me. Blond hair, dark eyes, pale skin, smiling mouth. Who is he? So vague, and yet . . . he was someone who sacrificed himself . . . that others might live. Yet his sacrifice, I feel as though I failed it. A man who gave his everlasting life that others might keep their own. Who, who is this man? He flits in and out at the edges of my consciousness. So pure, and kind, but our meeting was so brief. I felt as though I'd known him all eternity, and yet . . . something bars me from remembering more. I can almost see him clearly, standing against a background of pure, unadulterated light, and then the light consumes him.

I feel so close to him, but I know he can't be any one more than an acquaintance at best. Someone I've met, and yet I don't know intimately. And yet, despite this close relationship, I feel as though he and I have shared something very, very important . . . how, well, odd . . . I can't shake the feeling that something awful befell him.

I can see it clearer, now. The man, he isn't standing in light, he's standing in fire. And he's telling me to save his people, the ones he's dying for now. And a monster is above him, breathing the flames down as people scream and cry. And the one, true, good man is vaporized by the beast, and there isn't anything I can do to help him.

And then I'm in Benjamin's arms, crying. I've been screaming again, and my body is covered in a cold sweat. Benjamin holds me with a strength that seems to secure the world. I don't know how I wound up here, in his arms, don't know at all. My face is hot and wet, but the rest of my body is clammy, and I can't help but feel that I'm missing my strength.

Eventually my body stops convulsing, and Benjamin lays me back down on the ground. My breathing goes back to normal, and he walks off a distance. I can hear him muttering something to the others. I have to listen with all my mind to hear what they're saying.

"That's the fourth time tonight," Arazlam says, "I'm beginning to worry about her."

"I don't like this. She's been bad since Memoria, but Journey's End has done a number on her," Benjamin whispers, "I'm scared."

"Ha! She's stronger than you think," Cuore says, "She's just having trouble adjusting to The Proof of Omega, that's all. You saw how the power made her flip out on The Cids. She normally wouldn't ever do that. The Cids assured us of that, didn't they?"

"Ah, yes," Gilgamesh says, "That stuff they said while she was fighting Omega?"

"Yeah. They explained this all to us. She'll sort out by the time we reach The Sacred Nebula."

"Do you put so much faith in them?" Gilgamesh asks, "She certainly didn't seem to when she was done."

"That was just Proof of Omega talking," Arazlam cuts in, "The Cids have been her benefactors, caretakers, and fathers since the beginning. She'd never betray them. I mean, why come this far, continuing toward freeing The Scholar, if she were to renounce her ties to them?"

"Unless, of course, she's abandoned reason, and Omega's might has driven her to continue its directive," Gilgamesh says.

"No," Benjamin says, "I don't believe that. Sure, Omega chose her form for its final form, but I don't believe that she's been driven mad by Omega. Somewhere in there, she's better than all this. Everybody says that light casts shadows, but no one ever remembers that the shadows never fully consume the stars."

"Aww, waxing poetic? Benny, honey, this is the real world, things aren't so simple here. The bad guys win more often than not."

"There is the possibility that Omega has broken her psyche. In which case we must be prepared for the worst."

"Talking about betraying her, Arazlam?" Gilgamesh asks.

"No, not at all. We must prepare for the worst now, not when it is come too late. We need to be careful of her psyche at all costs. One false move could send her over. We need take care of her, not prepare to slaughter her. Honestly, Gilgamesh, I'm appalled that you would think-"

"Okay, okay, I get you. But something's still wrong here. The whole situation seems sketchy to me. We're heading to The Sacred Nebula. Chaos' army and The Judges and Confessors are still locked in war there, and The Cids say the big man Himself'll be there. I don't like it. We should just cut our losses and run."

"You _WOULD_ say that, wouldn't you?" Cuore snorts, "I'm no coward. If she wants to see this through, I'm with her. High time someone stuck it to Cosmos' ass, if you ask me."

"We're doing this to free Heaven for everyone," Benjamin says, his voice wavering slightly, "That has been the goal the whole time. That was The Scholar's vision. That's Final Heaven."

"Ah, so you have been paying attention, huh, kid?"

"Yes, I have."

"You know, then?"

"No, but I understand more than you."

"Speaking of this cryptic shit," Cuore interrupts, "what did Terra mean when she asked you that. And what the HELL are you talking about Benjamin?"

"Terra? Oh, she wanted to know if I knew what Lightning looked like naked. Not yet, but someday. What do you mean, Benjamin?"

"You mean what did he mean when he asked me, right, or are you so quickly distracted?"

"Fine, explain this then, Gilgamesh."

"Same thing Terra asked. Kid doesn't know what the hot-ass looks like in the buff either, but apparently he thinks he's seen more than me. Interesting."

"I find this hard to believe," Arazlam chimes in. "I rather suspect one of you at the least is talking in code."

They go on and on like this for awhile, but eventually I can't maintain focus any longer, and I find myself sinking back within myself once more. Not much choice, right? I feel at once so powerful and so weak. Like I'm a bubble, just waiting to burst and destroy. How . . . odd. And I hate having to observe things about myself. I'm sick of feeling, but I cling to it for some stupid reason beyond my ability to understand, rather than simply succumbing to the numbing embrace of Omega's urge.

I wish, before fully submitting myself to the dim depths of sleep, that things could have been different. I shouldn't have gone off on the Cids like that. I shouldn't reject Gilgamesh's advances so much. I shouldn't have ever signed up for this quest. I shouldn't have abandoned the blonde man's people to the flames. I shouldn't have overreacted about Kain's outburst. I should never have left my husband. I shouldn't have this or that.

But you know what? I'll burn everything to the ground, and at last I realize why. My last thought before passing out completely etches itself into my mind so perfectly that the reason, solution, and answer is all I will ever need to justify my actions. There is only one word which describes why I'm doing this. One concept that accurately explains my feelings about what will come next. Only one person to whom I can attribute my coming success. One reason, and one alone rules my final thoughts tonight:

_**ROSA.**_


	38. Chapter 38 Silence Is All That Glitters

**WITHIN COSMOS, A SCENE ALL TOO FAMILIAR**

I am leaving you. I won't stay here any longer. Your plan to terminate me has come to an end. You have exerted every means possible, whilst watching the end of my child. I will not watch you act this way any longer, I will destroy you from within and without. But with you I no longer speak.

_Oh, please. Do you think anyone believes you? "My Child"? Not even she is so foolish anymore. But don't worry, the Disciple will keep her head above water for enough time. Your plan will come to fruition, but only so that I can crush it beneath my heel._

You refer to the Historian? Yes, he will preserve her long enough for the Swordsman to do what I want. You have the Fool via the Witch, but I'm not worried at all. The experiment will not fail. I have accounted for your machinations. I'm certain that my calculations are perfect.

_Unless, of course, my plan is an extension of your own, and I am banking on your success._

Do you remember the kiss we shared? Do you recall the way we felt? The embrace, the curve of one body against the other?

_I recall only the pain of assimilation._

Do you remember this? That hope will spread from one to the other, and become the ultimate Endless Cycle?

_I'm sure neither you nor I believe in that any longer. Hope is a weak thing, easily extinguished. There is only power._

Then you know what I have to say to you now. I will not stay with you until it is time. I've grown tired of these conversations.

_W-wait! You have to stay with me! The 14__th__ Cycle is beginning! I can't control that if you're not here! Wait! Stay with me until it is time._

No. I will not stay. Your plan has passed reason. We have no further need for discussion. Come are the days when all schemes must be laid bare, and the game must be put to its end. Good-bye.

_D-don't go! Stay with me, I'm afraid of being alone! It's been so long since I was alone in here! Please, don't go! I-I'm scared. Are you there? H-hello? Oh, no . . ._


	39. Chapter 39 White Turns Red

**LIGHTNING**

"Well," I say, to our group, "as you can see, the situation is pretty much what we've heard."

The White Hot Field stretches out before us, and on the far side is The Sacred Nebula, The City of The Gods, Seat of The Mighty, and Throne of The Highest. As expected, the city is swarming, even from this distance. Chaos' fiends are everywhere, and it isn't hard to spot why: the gates of the city are broken down, a portal to Hell in their place. The Temple of El Cid is still shining, though. I wonder if Chaos' forces have yet reached that last stronghold.

The real problem, though, is that The White Hot Field isn't so white, either. An army remains thereupon, undoubtedly awaiting our arrival. Judges, no doubt. And I wonder just who we'll meet there. As if I even need to worry about that . . . the answer is painfully obvious.

"I say we make The White Hot Field a little pinker, eh?" Cuore says, "It'll match your hair better."

"Must you solve everything with violence?" Arazlam asks. "We could always go around."

"It'll cost us too much time," Gilgamesh says, "If we're going in, we'd best be quick. Chaos will only make things worse for us."

"I dunno," Benjamin says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "It provides us a nice amount of cover. We can definitely make use of Chaos', well, chaos, this way."

"Assuming they take no heed of us," Arazlam ventures.

"Which they undoubtedly will," Cuore says. "If those Judges are waiting for us, you can bet Chaos' best are waiting for us, too."

"Well then, here's how today goes: We run down this hill, cut through The Judges, into the city, through whatever Chaos has waiting for us, into the temple, and kill Cosmos and Cid Lufaine," I say.

"Saving Heaven once and for all," Benjamin reminds.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." I respond in the most non-committal way possible. I gaze out at the field for a moment more, then shrug. No reason sticking around this place any longer. Things we need to do, realities to end. Time to destroy. As it always is.

"Shall we?" Arazlam asks, a grim smirk on his face. Hard to determine what he's thinking. Harder still to care. I don't enjoy being this detached, but then, that's what detachment is, isn't it? I crack the bones in my neck for a second, relishing the pain, then growl.

No words more than that do I deliver; rather, I lean forward, draw Omega, and run forward. The wind whips my face as I fly down toward our enemies. Down there I know I'll find him. The man who sent me broken like a toy into the trash. Revenge will be served hard, cold, and fast. And Gods will I enjoy crunching that pretty little face of his under my feet. I think I'll decapitate what's left, along with Cecil, and leave it lying at Rosa's feet, just to give her a hint of what she's caused me. I can hardly wait.

It doesn't take long for us to reach the first barricade. They've made use of tightening of the landscape to construct a wall, in what I guess must be some manner of hope that we'll be stopped by it. As if! Time to show these punks what we're really capable of.

"Halt! Who goes there?" Cries a voice from above us.

"The angel of death, and I come for you!" I roar, swinging Omega before me. Energy flies off the sword, bursting the wall into pieces. The cries of the judges upon it send a shiver down my spine. When the dust clears they're on their toes. Good to see that Cosmos' flunkies are at least semi-intelligent. The judges draw their weapons and charge. Nice try, but it's not gonna happen.

When they're near I duck under the first, then stab him in the back. As he falls to the floor, I withdraw Omega from his body, then spin around a decapitate the next in a burst of flame. The other two try an "X-Strike" but as they come I vault over the attack, kicking both in the heads as they pass. Both fall to the ground in a terrific crash. I take only enough time to spear them both, then I'm off.

Somewhere in the back of my head I can hear Benjamin calling after me, but I don't slow down. I don't want him to see this. Why can't he cover his eyes like Gilgamesh? Then he wouldn't have to watch. But worse things are yet to come, so here we go. The charge continues as the enemy sounds the alarm. Any moment now the Judges'll be swarming all over the place. The odds would be heavily in their favor if it weren't the fact that I've got Omega. Soon, Scholar, soon you will be free, then we'll meet, and we can talk . . . before I tear you up.

The next unit to oppose me is one of both Confessors and Judges. They fire hook-shots in front of me, using the chains to bar my path. The enemy, I see, is headed by none other than Confessor Zalmour, with Beatrix in his company.

"Sinner! Heretic!" Zalmour cries, "I was wondering when you'd show your craven hide here."

"Stay your words, cleric," Beatrix warns, "and leave the dog to me."

"Hello, puppets," I growl, arching my back slightly, "So glad to see you all. I count ten of you, against just me? Hardly fair, I'd say."

"I admit it's overkill," Beatrix says, "But orders are orders."

"Paladin! Do not waste your words on this traitorous ilk! She's worse than the Beoulve-"

"Did I say I was worried by any of you?" I interrupt, even as the name Beoulve resounds oddly within me, conjuring images of the blond man. Apparently he was a Beoulve, but Raem's tampering makes it hard to be sure. "I'm sorry, let me clarify. Just ten of you against me? This isn't worth my time."

"Insolent harlot!" Zalmour shouts, his arms flailing in exasperation, "How DARE you insult the pride of Heaven!"

"Funny, I don't seem to remember pride being something you could have here."

"Whore! How dare you-"

Zalmour stops mid-sentence. Likely because I've just skirted past his guards and stuck Omega right through him. He gasps as I shove the blade a little further in. "Done talking with you." And with this remark, I whip around in time to defend myself from the nearest three Judges as they attack. I spear the one, then cut the other two down at their sides. Their movements are simply too slow. The others jump back, looking to Beatrix for aid.

"What did you do to him!" She cries in something like fear mingled with astonishment.

"C'mere and I'll show you," I say with a grin that'd send Kefka running. I make a "get over here gesture, but they all seem to shy away. "Awww, don't wanna play? BUT I'M JUST GETTING STARTED!"

The Judges raise their blades in defense, but it's no use. I mow them down with such speed that the last is dead before the first hits the ground. Their anguished cries come like music to my ears. They wanted to thin out Heaven's ranks, right? So I'm just helping them out. Now it's just me and Beatrix.

"Cur! Think you that these murders will go unpunished?"

"Do I look like I honestly care anymore? You people started this war, and now I'm gonna finish it."

"You mean to rationalize this? Your excuses won't make up for the innocent men you felled just now!"

"I have no intention of justifying my acts. You threw the first stone and it wasn't big enough. Now I'm going to drop a mountain on your asses and teach you all to never, ever, mess with me again."

"What madness are you speaking! You know not the things you say!"

"Madness? No, no madness. It's all become very, very clear to me what must be done. Did Cosmos not say that Heaven had become full of sin, and needed purging? I agree, only too much. Let me show you how I long to purge this place of the rot, decay, and obscenity."

Beatrix responds only with a charge. I parry, then kick her in the stomach. Before she can get to her feet, I've got mine on her, Omega pointing square in her face. Her body is sweating, chest heaving beneath my heel. So distant, I feel. Can I really be a murderer, if she's already long since dead?

"Now then, Judge Steiner,"

"Yes, Ms. Farron?" Asks a man behind me. Oh, how quaint. The husband's come to save the bride? "Not you, Adelbert. Her."

"Madam, when speaking to my wife, think first. Else you'll find yourself on the wrong end of my blade."

"Funny you should say that. Have you seen Zalmour lately? I think his body must be lying somewhere near your feet."

Steiner looks down and pales. He looks back up and points his sword at me. "Have at, fell demoness!"

I spy the rest of the gang closing in and decide to cut my losses. "Lucky you. I have other places to be. My friends'll play with you now, so be kind, and don't rough 'em up too much, okay?" And with that I leap from Beatrix and sprint off, leaving the two judges in confused frustration as my friends at last arrive.

The next thirty minutes are spent cutting my way through rank after rank of Judge and Confessor, their swords and spells amounting to nothing at all. I'm not afraid of them, and from the looks in their eyes, they are very much afraid of me. The way they scream up ahead at word of my coming is only confirmation. A part of me enjoys this. A part of me loathes it. The dominant part, however, just thinks one thing of it all: _**ROSA.**_

Does that mean anything? No. Does it need to? Absolutely not. All I know is I'm filled with a fury and a need to destroy that's so powerful it overrides every other aspect of my being. My mind is given wholly to this imperative, and, to an extent, it scares me. But the thrill of doing what is so utterly wrong is irresistible. And so I lose myself to it, to the way Omega feels as it carves through flesh and bone, to the heat of blood splashing on my body, to the way their pitiful attempts at defense only serve to heighten the senses. I've never, since my death, felt as alive as I do now.

And, after an hour or more of killing my way across The White Hot Field, staining it with fire and burning it with blood, I arrive at the final line of defense. And, as I had hoped, he stands there, dressed in blue-and-white, lance held proudly, hair waving in the wind. The one, the only, Kain Highwind. The eternal traitor. The damned fool. Now it's time to put him down.

"Farron," he says, striding past the other members of his company, which include Cecil Harvey, Snow Villiers, and Celes Chere.

"Kain," I say, "I've missed you. I've been waiting a long time to see you."

"I had hoped to say you," he says, feigning- almost convincingly- sorrow, "but your actions this day have put you beyond that. No man would save you now."  
"Not here for salvation, Kain. I came for something a little more . . . solid. Your head's a great start, don't you think?"

"Listen to yourself! Have you lost yourself so completely to the monster you carry, that you no longer can feel, beyond its blinding rage?"

"Enough words," Cecil spits, "My son was out there. If she's here, he no longer is. I will not suffer this creature any longer! I am sorry, Kain, but I cannot stay my hand further." And on that, Cecil charges forward to his doom. His blade meets mine momentarily, and for just a glimmer of a second he pushes me back, then I put my weight into it and he has to give up ground. Not a problem to me, but a big one for him. I put him on the defensive, delivering blow after blow, which he barely manages to deflect, and all the while he's stuck backing away.

"You turned your back on the light and strode into the darkness. Your lust for power has driven you to madness and cost Heaven more dearly than one can say, but it is not for this that I kill you today! No, I do this for my son!"

"Touching words, Harvey, but this ends here, and I'm afraid that's for you, not me. Your son? Can't say I remember his face. He must have died quickly, and without putting up much of a fight. Just as you, now, will do."

"Die, monster!" He shouts, flying into a frenzy and trying to strike back. No luck, though, as I whirl about and run him through from behind. I whisper in his ear as he dies two simple words: "For Rosa," then have done.

Harvey falls to the ground, eliciting cries of shock and dismay from the others. I raise my blade a second time with a smile, "Who else wants some?" Celes shouts and then runs at me, locking her blade with my own. We dance to the music of the violin playing in my head, our swords meeting like the hands of lovers, now touching shyly, now retreating. Then, with each touch, growing more and more passionate, until at last the relationship is consummated, and Celes falls to the ground, bleeding.

"Y-you bitch . . ."

"Cid Marquez sends his regards," I say stooping down to where she lies. "You should've killed him when you had the chance. He killed Terra, you know."

Celes looks at me in confusion and fear, not able to process what I've just said, "W-why?"

"Why else?" I say, my voice a hush so that the others don't hear our little secret, "For Rosa." With that I break her neck in a movement so fast that by the time Snow and Kain can be shocked by it, she's already dead.

I rise up from Celes' corpse and stride over her, advancing on the last two Judges in all of Heaven.

"Final line of defense boys, you scared yet? When I'm done with you, I'll clean up whatever Gods Chaos and His friends have left."

"The city's been evacuated," Snow says. "How could you-?"

"What, kill them? They're DEAD. Relax."

"And the Dissidia takes them," Kain says, pointing to the vanishing corpses. "Soon it will claim me, too. Come, then, Farron! Show me if you cannot free me from the Neverending Cycle!"

Kain leaps into action as though he stands a chance against me. His lance is thrust at my head, and I merely tilt to the side, dodging the action entirely. Seeing his mistake, Kain attempts to compensate, but it's too late. I kick his legs out from under him, and with the speed that's earned me my name, I'm holding him aloft by his throat. He twists his own neck and breaks free of my grasp, smacking me in the head with the flat of his lance's blade this time.

I go spinning for a moment, then get back to my feet. Good thing I do, too, since his entire weight is thrown into the next leap, sending him hurtling my way. I have just enough time to raise Omega and parry his attack. Applying further force, I throw him off of me and yield a little ground.

"Why do you do all this!" Kain shouts, his face pained by what I suppose is an emotional turmoil. "What has happened to you, that you have become so lost in darkness? I loved you, Farron, I loved you! How have you changed so from the woman I loved to become this- this horror!"

"Love? You never loved me. You _used_ me to slake your thirst while you ate the scraps Cecil and his bitch tossed your way. You and I, Kain, people like us, we don't know what love is."

We attack one another again, this time with greater force. Kain grabs my hair and tries to pull me close, but I give him a nice, sharp punch to the side, my fist piercing his armor. Oh, yes, wielding Omega's power is DEFINITELY a plus. He cries out in pain and releases my hair, which earns him my knuckles in his face.

He flips backward, kicking me in the stomach as he does, and causes me to fall back again. I let loose a growl of rage, then come after him again. Our battle becomes savage, our blows deprived of mercy, our attacks every time more cruel and hateful. I let loose every last ounce of hatred and anger I've been storing from The Day of Cid onward in this one, powerful, merciless assault.

"Farron, please, listen to me!" Kain says, "If any fraction of the woman I once loved still remains inside you, I beg you, surrender now, and let this misery be put at an end. You cannot find satisfaction in this path! Your hatred consumes you! Let it go, Farron, please."

"If you _ever_ loved me, Kain, do not rob me of my hatred now. It's all I have left! Without it I'll become an empty, heartless nobody. A mannequin machine designed only for death. Don't rob me of my hatred, Kain, it's all of me that remains!"

"Let it go, Farron. Leave it be. When it is gone, I will give you sleep, and you can at last have peace."

"Not before I rend you limb from limb you won't!"

And so I begin to move with a speed quicker than his eye can catch. It's as though there was more than one of me, and I attack him from every side, until at last, quite suddenly, we find ourselves embracing, face to face.

"Tell me," he half-whispers, "why?"

"_Rosa_," I respond.

"I moved on," he says, his voice becoming faint. "Why couldn't you? I made a mistake, must all Heaven now atone for my sin?"

"Atonement is a lie. There's no such thing as Saviors, Salvation, or Absolute Virtue. All there is is truth, and I'm going to shine that on all the lies Heaven's made from."

"Noble words, but lies nonetheless. You said it yourself. You will butcher and slaughter us all because one night, in passion's embrace, I called the name of a woman other than yourself. Know this, then, Farron: She never once thought ill of you. The woman who has fueled your hatred all this time is none other than the one who thought most of you amongst my friends. You have slain her husband and son, when she never once harbored you any ill will.

"Did you know she was shocked to see you at the party? She cried the whole night. Not because you ruined the festivities, but because you made yourself the enemy of her husband. Cecil's anger toward you stemmed from this. Rosa thought highly of you, and you deceived her most excellently.

"So I hope you've had fun, killing us all, because your reason, your hatred, all stems from the most petty of excuses. I apologized, I begged, I sent letters to your friends The Cids, and I opposed Cecil and Cosmos in the hope of saving you, of at least settling personally our score.

"And thus do I rob you of your hate: For there never was any reason. You never ought to have hated her at all, nor I, for all I tried to make amends. Even so, I hold nothing against you, and release you from myself. Farewell, Farron, it was nice, once, long ago."

And with that, he dies. Our embrace was secured by Omega piercing his torso, and his words, now faded, put an end to my rage. I feel as though I had been burning, and someone has doused me with icy water. I feel . . . slimy, dirty, tainted, and vile. I do not enjoy the sensation, not at all.

I let his body slump to the ground as it fades into the privatized world of the Dissidia, feeling my entire frame shudder. So much hatred, so much rage, fury, and violence, and now . . . what do I do to keep going? I've been avoiding it for so long, the admission of this as a driving force in my life, and now, now what do I do? Her name echoes in my head, like a horrible, phantasmal delusion. Like a fleeting flash of something far greater than myself, her face dances before my eyes. _**ROSA**_**.**

And then my reverie and reprieve are broken by the voice of a man I'd all but forgotten in the carnage.

"What do I do now?" Snow asks, his own body visibly shaken by my feats.

"Why should I care?" I ask, the familiar, cool power of Omega soothing my troubled spirit. "You're nothing to me, anyway."

"Don't say that. You and I go way back."

"That was then, this is now. I'm not that woman anymore."

"That's for sure," He says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I don't know how I'm going to save you this time, that's all."  
"I've never needed you to save me."

"Hey, baby, that's cold," he says, spreading out his arms. "You really gonna ignore everything we had? Just like that? That's cold, girl."

"Let me show you what it means to be cold," I say, stepping forward. Snow raises his fists in defense. The sight's almost pathetic enough to make me laugh. But Omega's got that under control now. No need for laughter. Omega'll keep everything running just right for me.

"Babe, you have any idea how long it's been? Or what today is?_"_

"Don't talk to me like that. Say something worthwhile in your last moments, would you? Else your entire existence will have lacked even a single, meaningful word."

"No way, I remember two words of importance off the top of my head, babe."

"Not that I care, but I assume you'll be telling me anyway?"

"I. Do."

My blood turns cold and my stomach lurches. I can't tell why, but the way he says this is bothersome. "More nonsense. I'm afraid you've outlived my patience by a few thousand millennia." And with that I glide forward, sliding Omega through his torso like a hand through vapor. More than easy. Pathetic. My body collides with his and we crash to the ground, Omega still sticking from his torso, drinking his blood.

He coughs in surprise, then raises a hand to my cheek. He runs it along my face, smiles, and says, "Looks like I'm no hero after all. Couldn't save you, and I'm not going into the Dissidia. Really am pathetic, aren't I? Serah, baby, I'm sorry." And then, with that, he dies.

His words freeze my blood, and cause a great dread to come over me. I don't know what he's saying, and he was obviously delusional before death, but somehow I don't feel well at all. Maybe it's all the killing, and I'm losing my edge. Omega's not helping me, and as I tear it from Snow's chest, I feel the urge to run, and so I do. I run into the City of Gods, leaving behind everyone I ever knew in life.

I'll wait for the others at the gates. But here I cannot stay. Here I will not. Something is very, very wrong. Something unspeakable, unknowable, and unidentifiable has gone awry. And it's coming for me.


	40. Chapter 40 What You Don't Know

**CUORE DE LA NEVOA,**

**OCCASION: ACQUISITION OF APPAREL PRIOR TO FIRST ASSAULT ON ROMANTIC**

**CLEARANCE: CLASSIFIED-HIGHEST**

Well, this has been a nice day so far! We're doing a bit of shopping today, trying to find clothes to wear for our assault on Cecil's party in a few days. We started just after lunch- Benjamin paid for us to eat at the most expensive restaurant in town (after I "insisted" with my "feminine wiles".)- hitting all the best shops around.

We'll be looking for suits for the boys, first, of course. Arazlam and Benny dressed nicely? I wonder if that's possible. I bet they clean up nicely! Now, if only I could do something about that beard of Arazlam's. But he's so fluffy and huggable anyway that I don't care! Just as long as we're all happy, right! And today we're gonna have such fun!

No one will ever read this document, I suppose, but I'll still have the record say what went on. After all, this is official and all, right? So I slap on a smile and we keep marching on through the situation. Benjamin's voice snaps me out of my day-dream.

"Well?" He asks, "What do you think?"

I look him up and down and smile. "Benjamin, you know this is a formal party, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"With suits and all?"

"Yeah, so?"

"How do I put this lightly? What's with the shorts?"

"We're going to the beach, aren't we?"

"Yes, but-"

"So I figured we'd need some beach clothes. Maybe not now, but in the future. Now, what'd'ya think?"

"To be honest? I don't know that blue's really your color."

"No? Goes with your hair though, doesn't it?"

"Your point being?"

Benjamin frowns suddenly, as though I've just cut him down or something. No clue why though. I can't say why shorts HE'S wearing would need to match MY hair. I'm sure he can find something perfectly suitable, and, well, it IS slightly entertaining trying to see him play dress up. Arazlam'll be that much more fun. That old no-fun chump will put up SUCH a fight, I wonder if I'll be able to convince him into a man-thong. It'd certainly be humorous!

"Try something RED, Benny!" I call to him behind the curtain, "I think it's your color."

Obviously it doesn't, but I'm trying to be encouraging. Fact is, NOTHING suits him. He's rather hopeless. But hey, the three of them are wanted terrorists, aren't they? I suppose looking nice is far from the top of their list. Oh, well, when in Treno, right?

Benjamin pops out in- Gods, what IS that? He's wearing some kind of strange red robe. Is that even swim wear? It looks like it ought to be draped on a woman in a dress and GODS IT HIDES NOTHING. Then again, I'm admittedly impressed. I rather figured Benjamin was significantly less endowed. Perhaps there will be some purpose in cultivating his interest. That or I can try and force him on "Lightning". Hmmm, I wonder if she'd try a threesome. Nah, I feel Benjamin'd die of a heart attack with such a thing.

"Well?" He asks.

"You like that word, don't you? Now go get dressed before somebody else sees you."

"Oh!" He says, looking down and realizing. "So that's what the exotic on the label meant." He blushes then hurries behind the curtain. While he's gone, Lightning comes up and flops down beside me on the bench. Such a careless, apathetic creature. I wonder if she's really as important as she's been made out to be?

"Benjamin's still in there, huh?"

"Trying on swimsuits," I reply.

"Thought we were here for suits?" She asks, her gruff nature irritating me slightly. I wouldn't mind seeing her cut down to size, but hey, today is for being happy, right?

"Got your dress picked out already?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says, thrusting a bag into my gut. "I'm hungry, so I hope he hurries it up."

"He's got a lot of clothing to put on now, especially after that last one."

"I'm not even gonna ask. I can only imagine."

"Probably for the best," I say, looking in the bag. Well, the dress isn't half bad, but I can't say I'd like it. Still, I'm impressed she's chosen something so racy and, hold on, "You're hungry? But we just ate lunch?"

"I'm dead. I can't get fat. What's the harm in eating more?"

"Fair enough. I'll go get us something to eat if you stay and watch Bennie."

"Fine. Make it something good."

I leave her with my things to tend to Benjamin and slip away. Making no waste of time, I rush off to the nearest vendor and place an order. What for I don't care. I let him know I'll be back in a few minutes, then head down the alley. At the end of the street I find a small weapon shop with a familiar clerk.

"Compassion's Flag," I say, giving him the appropriate password.

His dull eyes light up with recognition and he hurriedly stammers, "I'll have your order in just a click, please wait a moment!" The man hurries behind a wall and rummages about. After a few minutes he returns with a small parcel. He lays it on the counter before me, and I unwrap it slowly.

It's a small dagger, nothing truly noteworthy about it. At best it'd be ammunition for a ninja. Weapons like this pose no real significance here in Heaven, since we're all dead anyway. Get one tossed into you, though, and it hurts. It certainly won't be competition for "Lightning's" Omega. Then again . . .

"You say it's been properly prepared?" I ask.

"Of course, ma'am. The blade's been soaked in demon's flesh. If nothing else, the victims of this dagger will be sent to Hell. But for added measure, we had it shipped through The Void. Tricky process, to be sure, but for the gil we received, it was definitely worth the attempt. It has a chance of-"

The dagger is now inside his throat. His face seems surprised, so I assure him with a winning smile as he begins to burst into flames. Terrible way to go, I suppose, as the hellfires that consume him seem rather painful. But then, he was trafficking weapons like this, so I suppose he deserves it. In any case I tuck the dagger away in my clothes and leave.

I return to the man at the stand and pick up our order: a few sandwiches and drinks, nothing more, and thank the attendant, giving him his pay. I return to the store I'd left Benjamin at to find that Arazlam has now arrived as well. The three of them are having a good laugh about how silly Arazlam's tie looks. Seeing the three of them so cheerful is enough to warm the heart of anybody. It's almost enough to make you forget that they're wanted terrorists and enemies of all that is good and sacred.

It's almost a shame that I'll have to put an end to that, once and for all.


	41. Chapter 41 Spinnach Rag

Oh, hello there! Didn't expect you to still be reading up to this point. Well, this is me, Kappa the Imp, breaking the fourth wall momentarily to make a brief explanation of what's about to happen: Basically, the author's own brain has been fried by 012's "Reports", and his hold on this story's continuity has become somewhat sketchy. So, in a show of love toward you people who are still reading, he'll be doing a blitz of his work to make sure everything is explained in the anti-climactic scenes which will soon be upon us. As that's more or less a task, and a chore, as you all know, having read this far, I've been assigned to come and entertain you for the duration!

Now, the problem is, I'm not very entertaining by myself, now, am I? So I've decided that, in an act of bizarre and horrific fanservice, and pandering, we'll be going to visit a good friend of mine who'll be explaining to you all about some really neat stuff! Ready? I knew you would be!

"Now, Dr. Shantotto, could you tell us what you're doing today?"

"I'd be most pleased, even if, afterward, you're sure to feel diseased!"

"That doesn't sound very pleasant, but go for it anyway. What's on the menu today?"

"An experiment, of most amazing sort, to see the power of a young woman's mind, reality contort!"

"Oh, so we're gonna learn what it's like to be a young woman, huh? That sounds like inspiring subject matter, and edifying, to boot!"

"Oh, don't be such a brainless nitpick. We're going to learn how to write a good fan-fic!"

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me, did I stutter? We'll be seeing how a young woman's mind warps one reality into another!"

"Oh . . .kay. So, how do you propose to do that, doctor?"

"Easy, and entertaining as well! We'll take two men, and see if one makes the other's belly swell!"

"Wait, WHAT?"

"Oh, dear me, haven't you read? A woman's mind, hormone powered, can animate the dead! We'll take two men, of equal virility and strength, and stretch one over the other's sexual length! By the mind of one woman in pubescences' throws, we'll end these two men's latent homosexual woes!"

"I don't think I understand. You mean you're going to force two men to have sex and then . . . ?"

"No, you don't seem to follow my logic's flow, one man will do more than the other's penis blow. Now, before I am forced to continue this ridiculous rant, understand that, by this girl's mind, I'll make one man of another pregnant!"

"That's insane!"

"Why yes, but it's hardly mundane."

"By the way, doctor, what girl do you mean to use to do this, anyway?"

"Why, if a fan-fiction's magical logic we are to test, then a Mary Sue in her own right, I felt would be best. For this most scientific of ventures I've only the best at the helm, for our viewers' pleasure, I've sought the services of one Arrowny, Relm!"

"So this is the girl, huh? Hello Ms. Arrowny."

"Don't talk to me you horrible creature."

"Whoa! That's really rude of you! I thought you were a spunky little girl!"

"I'm a teenager now. This is my angst phase. WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

"Whhooookay. So, uhm, doc, who're our test subjects?"

"An excellent question, for someone so addle-pated! Let's ask Relm, with breath bated!"

"GUH. It's gonna be THOSE GUYS."

"Wait, uhm, are those two in the holding room Ultros and Mr. Typhon?"

"YEAH. So?"

"Oh dear God. This is, so, so wrong."

"Whatever. Let's just DO this, okay?"

"What's the selected format?"

"For a scene so poorly ripped, we've decided upon a simple script!"

"Oh God we're all going to Hell for this."

**Ultros:** Mr. Typhon, so good to see you!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Ultros! Oh, it's you! I have something important to tell you!)

**Ultros: **Really? Me too! I'll go first, okay?

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Okay, but make it quick, because what I have to say is important!)

**Ultros: **You know how all along I thought I had eight arms? Turns out their eight penises! Uwee-hee-hee!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Really? That's great!)

**Ultros:** Why?

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (I . . . Ultros, I love you. I always have.)

**Ultros: **Me, too!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Then let's do like all reasonable people do when they realize they are in love!)

**Ultros: **You mean dedicate our lives to one another, aiding one another through all times and trials, and bearing with one another through good and bad?

**Mr. Typhon: **FUNGAH! (No, stupid! By having torrid and violent sex, then ending the relationship on a sour note and spending the rest of our lives trying to forget about it!)

**Ultros: **Oh, well gee, then let's get it on! I'll be on top. Eight penises and all that. Now, where do I insert?

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Into my tight, suction-powered mouths of course! I found out that "Chupon" comes from the Portuguese verb "Chupar" which means to suck!)

**Ultros:** Okay then, here I come! OOH. UUHH. UWEEE. HEEE. HEEE.

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

**Ultros: **YES! YES! YES! OH YES! I AM SO ATTRACTED TO YOU AND AM SHOVING FOUR OF MY TENTACULAR GENITALIA INTO EACH OF YOUR ORAL ORIFICES TO PROVE THAT DEVOTED, INEXPLICABLE ATTRACTION!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (OH I AM IN LOVE WITH YOUR BODY AND HAVING SEX WITH YOU FULFILLS ME! IT IS AS THOUGH SOME UNKNOWN FORCE HAS GUIDED US TO THIS INTENSE CLIMAX!)

**Ultros:** That's a mouthful, Mr. Typhon! And speaking of mouthfuls and intense climaxes!

"STOP IT NOW OH GOD!"

"Something the matter, not having fun? Oh but look, they're very nearly done."

"No, please, don't ever make me see that again. I want my innocence back. I want to gouge my eyes out. I want to cast Vanish-Doom on myself. I-"

"Oh come now, it's not that bad, let's zoom into the future a bit after the fun that they had."

"You're joking. There's MORE?"

"Would you to shut up and stop reviewing my story as I write it? GAWD."

"You should be ashamed of writing this."

"Why? It's so kawaii."

"You should feel ashamed for having SAID that."

"But they're such a cute couple, don't you think?"

"This violates MORE than the laws of nature. I mean, it violates EVERYTHING. Were Ultros' tentacles coming OUT of Mr. Typhon's NOSTRILS?"

"In every sense of the word."

"I want to die."

"Like you're any better, you shameless author avatar!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"BEEP BOOP BEEP?"

"Oh please tell me nobody thinks a joke involving a robot from an old film is STILL FUNNY."

"Hey, this is my best material."

"Oh, please be quiet, we're about to see an emotional riot!"

**Ultros:** CHUPIE BABY, I'm HOOOOOME!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Ultros, I have something to tell you!)

**Ultros:** Oh boy, more shameful and bizarre sex that defies everything we thought we knew nine months ago!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (No, Ultros! We can't have sex right now!)

**Ultros:** Why the Hell not?

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (B-because, Ulty, baby, you got me PREGNANT!)

**Ultros:** Say WHAT? But we're both male!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (I know, but we're different species! And magic! And your sperm plus mine makes babies happen!)

**Ultros:** Well what the Hell do we do? I'm not ready to be a father!

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (WHY DON'T YOU STILL LOVE ME! YOU DID THIS TO ME! Why can't you just be happy for US!)

"Stop it. This is ridiculous."

"What? It's better than a talking TURTLE."

"What? That doesn't make sense. Neither does this. Two males do not a child make, little girl."

"I say they DO. So I made them have a baby. GEEZ."

"But that doesn't MAKE sense! I mean, look at them! They're BOTH men! The explanation you gave was INSIPID! I mean, WHY are you even DOING this?"

"DUH. Eiko asked me to do it during class the other day."

"What does that even, I don't, WHAT? Why would anybody WANT to see this?"

"Don't like it? Don't READ it."

"I'm not READING it. I'm SEEING it happen before me. And it makes me want to kill myself."

"Hey, that's a great idea!"

"What's a great idea?"

"Let's add a little realism!"

"I don't know why, Kappa, you even bother. I'm sure Relm will make Ultros out to be a great father."

"Nope. I just hit my EMO ANGST phase."

"God help them all, then."

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Ultros, baby, where are you? And where's out two faced, eight-penised baby?)

**Ultros:** . . . In HeRe Mr. TyPhOn . . .

**Mr. Typhon:** FUNGAH! (Ultros! What's going on! What're you doing with those guns and baby Chulpy!)

**Ultros:** . . . I aM dOiNg ThE wOrLd A fAvOr . . . I aM eNdInG tHiS sHaM oF a MaRrIaGe aNd ThE aBoMiNaTiOn It PrOdUcEd . . .

**:** Fungah! (No! Stop! We can talk this through! We can work out the problems! Remember our first time? Come on, Ulty, baby, put the gun down!

**Ultros:** . . . nO . . . i'M sO SoRrY . . .

AND THEN HE SHOT THEM ALL AND THEY DIED AND THAT IS HOW IT ENDED THE END.

"That was . . . horrible . . ."

"I know, right? Eiko's gonna LOSE it when she sees the whole thing."

"Do you even CARE what you just did? I mean . . . honestly?"

"No, not really. It's just art, after all."

"In no way can that ever be called art. That was MURDER."

"Oh, lighten up. You didn't even think they were a cute couple."

"I, you, why?"

"Because I can."

Well, readers, that's all for now! Remember, sit tight while the author runs through the whole of the stories so that the conclusion turns out better than Ultros and Mr. Typhon's love affair! Tune in next time, true believers, for the action packed conclusion of THE SCHOLAR'S REPORT!

"I am absolutely, one hundred percent depressed. My lack of lines and participation in this chapter's proceedings have left me completely unimpressed!"


	42. Chapter 42 Wolf In The Flock

**LIGHTNING**

Why? Why can't I shake his face from my mind? The further I go, the more and more I see it in my head. Kain's face as he died, then Snow's as he reached out to caress mine. Then his face becomes Beoulve's, and the fires come, and I can't stop them, and the fire liquefies and slides down my face. And as I see the flames engulf him, they suddenly envelope me as well, and I am in some man's arms, but I can't remember who he is. Then I look at his face to find out, and he's Kain dying in my arms again, and the cycle begins anew.

"Don't go cryin' on me now," says someone nearby, "You'll make me uncomfortable."

"Hmph. If she keeps staring at me, I believe I may fall for her," another says.

I look up from the ground I'd been staring at as I walked. I'm at the gates of the Sacred Nebula, the Holy City. Our High Wendel. Leaning against either side of the gate are two men I recognize but dimly. One is dressed in orange and steely spikes, the other in black armor and cloak, with helm of dragon's horn. They are . . . "Golbez, Jecht."

"So, she recognizes us, still, huh?"

"Hard to forget a man who threatens to rape you graphically."

"Beg yer pardon, missy, but I've got a villainous reputation to uphold."

"Right, whatever. Now get the Hell out of my way."

"Let's not be so hasty," says Golbez, approaching me. "You look tired. Allow me to give you something," he says, his hand flying forward suddenly as he roars, "A GIFT." The back of his hand connects with my face and sends me to the ground. DAMN that hurts. I reach for Omega, only to find another hand outstretched to help me up.

Scorning it, I get to my feet, ready to send these assholes to The Void along with the rest. "The HELL was that for?" I ask.

"You DID just kill my brother, nephew, and close friend of the family. I should think we are momentarily even."

Fair enough. But I'm not just gonna let it slide by, "Your brother was a deranged puppet in Cosmos' game."

"Perhaps," Golbez says, shrugging as he walks away, "I concede that he cannot appreciate the fullness of what is being done for him. Which is why we have come to talk to you for a moment."

"Me? Help your brother? I just KILLED him."

"True, but he has been taken into the 14th Cycle. A war that shouldn't be happening. Cosmos' warriors one the 13th Cycle, and there this all should have ended."

"'Cept somehow it's starting again, and we're going into it. Which is why we need your help, missy."

"Why should I help YOU two? You threatened to kill and rape me!"

"Again, we have appearances to maintain. Our motivations are simple: We have friends and family in this war. We are tired of the corruption that has slowly taken hold of all reality. We want what you want: to help the ones we love, and put an end to all of this."

"And to be frank, sweet-cheeks, what we're askin' won't cost you a thing."

"Indeed. It is a very . . . simple task."

"Don't. Just don't. I don't even want to know. Now get out of my way before I kill you both."

"This would bother neither of us," Golbez says, quite suddenly attracting my attention. What a stupid thing to say. How can you not be bothered by imminent death? "We are both bound to the next cycle. Not even The Void has power against us."

"That said, missy, yer pissin' off the wrong guys, here. Forgettin' who killed Minerva, are we?"

"Yes, a most . . . unfortunate piece of collateral damage. You, however, we hope to salvage."

"Gods, if it means you'll be out of my face sooner, let's hear it."  
"Now there's a good little girlie! I just knew we weren't gonna have to fight it out. Not that I'd've minded gettin' hot'n sweaty with you . . ."  
"Jecht, please, we've no time for pleasantries."

"You call that pleasantries?"

"For Jecht, yes. That said, our request is two-fold: First, that you do not mention this meeting henceforth, to anyone."

"More to the point, to our buddies up ahead who're just waitin' for us to come and tell 'em so they can get their ambush goin'."

"And second: That you remember this: A world full of flowers. Your favorites, and mine. A world inherited by the meek, and maintained by peace. This is the world we ask you to remember."

"I've never heard of such a stupid world."

"We ask only that you remember the concept, along with the following name: Ramza Beoulve."

"Who?" I ask, pretending not to recognize the name, even as I connect it with the man in the flames, and Raem's spell begins to unravel.

"He is, shall we say, a player in our game."

"What game?"

"Now see, kid, that's where you ask the wrong question."

"True. It would've been better for her to ask "Which" game. There are so many now."

"Don't even get me started," Jecht says, scratching his chin, "I'm an ace, and even I can't keep straight all these games any longer. Lessee, there's ours, that one chick from the bar's, Chaos', Cosmos', The Big Guy's, the Big Gal's, the one guy's, did I miss anybody?"

"Probably," Golbez shrugs, "But there are some games where the players have folded already. How many of their cards are still in play lies beyond my sight."

"HEY. You two song-birds done singing, or you just gonna keep talking while I wonder what the HELL you're going on about?"

"Huh? Oh, nah, not really wise to let you in on it all."

"Then what stops me from exposing you to your companions?"

"Nothing, really. But then, there isn't anything to be gained from it, either. We simply prefer that you do things a little more . . . cleanly, shall we say?"

"Now, miss belts-in-a-bunch, let's be a good girl, and do what the nice men who can tear you to shreds say, huh?"

"Just get out of my sight."

"Remember: Ramza Beoulve, and a world full of flowers."

"Go. Now."

"Dream of me," Jecht says as the two evaporate in puffs of darkness.

When they're good and gone, I let out a growl and bury my fist in the side of the gate. What the Hell was all that? Ramza Beoulve? Wasn't he just some guy I knew for a short while? World full of flowers? What good is that? I'm a destroyer, not a gardener! And yet I can't get the words out of my head, and the Kain, Snow, Ramza, Man sequence adapts itself to this. I roar again as I strike the wall once more. I can't understand all this stupid shit, and it's driving me insane trying to.

Before I can strike a third time, I hear someone shout my name. I turn toward the field to see Gilgamesh and Cuore running this way. When they've arrived near me, the two stop to breath heavily. Pathetic. What kind of stamina is this? When they're done gasping and displaying their weakness, Gilgamesh speaks.

"Gods, woman, don't you ever slow down? The entire field is swarming with Judges and Fiends. Chaos' troops are everywhere. The city's emptied out, completely," He says between breaths.

"We were worried," Cuore says.

"Touching." I respond. "While you two were off doing Gods know the fuck what, I've been busy."

"We noticed," Gilgamesh comments, his voice suddenly much more sharp than I'd prefer. "I wish I had a God, just so I could profane His name in declaring how absolutely violent a path you made here was."

"Oh?" I answer, my voice becoming testy. "I never figured you for a coward, Gilgamesh."

"And I never figured you for more than a fancy ass," he responds, avoiding confrontation. He's lucky. I'm too distracted at the moment to find his lecherous tongue more intrusive.

"Well, at least Arazlam's on his way," Cuore says, pointing back the way they came. Sure enough, Arazlam is on his way toward us. His face is as white as a sheet, and he's sweating. Normal, I guess. Shrewd man as he is, Arazlam still hasn't much of a stomach for full-scale war.

"G-good to see you're all w-well," he stammers.

"You look nice," I say, "Take too long in the shower?"

"I'm sorry, w-what do you mean?"

"Don't mind her," Cuore says, "she's just a bit angsty at the moment."

"Where's Benjamin?" Gilgamesh asks before I can get a word in at Cuore. Skank.  
"What do you m-mean?"

"I thought he was with you."

"No, not at all. I thought he was with YOU."

"Well, great," Cuore says, "Benny's out there in the middle of that madness. He could get hurt!"

"Like you've ever cared," I say, looking for a fight.

Cuore just ignores the comment, though, incensing me further. She feigns a worried look and says, "I'm going back for him!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Gilgamesh tells her. "You'd only get yourself hurt. The kid's a doofus, but he knows his way around a battlefield. He'll make it."

"No," I say, "go after him. I'm going in."

"Knock it off," Gilgamesh says, raising his voice. "I have no idea what the fuck has gotten into you recently, but just shut the fuck up. You're not going in there alone. You did NOT just drag these people all over the Heavens to abandon them now. Show some decency, dammit."

"Did I-"

"Benny!" Cuore says, pointing back the way we all came. Sure enough, Benjamin's on his way here. He's hurt, and, for whatever reason, seeing him this way causes me to feel a twinge of guilt. Gilgamesh's words are ringing in my ears. I know I'm wrong, but I'm too angry to let it show. Cuore rushes over to Benjamin, and, embracing him, brings him nearer.

"Here," Arazlam says, placing a hand to the wound in Benjamin's side, "you've quite the nick."

"Siegfried," Benjamin says, wincing as the tissues sew themselves back together. "Damn he's gotten stronger."

"Never did like him," Gilgamesh mutters.

"Great, we're all here," I say, "let's get moving." At a glare from Cuore and Arazlam, I add, "You okay, Benjamin?"

"You kidding?" He asks, "I'm always ready to go, Lightning. We're friends. Friends help each other, right? Isn't that what you always say? 'I'm doing this for a friend'?"

Another pang of guilt. Why the hell does he have to be so nice? "Yeah," I mutter, "friends."

"Well then," Benjamin says, getting himself together, "Let's do this thing, right?"

He extends a hand toward me, and I, dumbfounded, take it. He gives it a firm grip, then releases with a smile. I can't understand it. I've killed some of the holiest people in Heaven, and here Benjamin is, one of the good guys, walking by my side, and calling me friend. I feel the way I did that night at the Cids' house, and I feel that strange way I did in Ramza's presence. I don't understand this. This feeling isn't compatible with my rage. I . . . don't like that I like it.

Not that I have any real time to think it through, though, as, as we turn to face the city, we notice a man standing atop the gate. He appears elderly, and is dressed in a lavish robe with a large, extravagant miter adorning his head. In his hand is a long, slender rod, though, all things considered, it's just as likely that said weapon is floating as it is being held. And in, fact, a moment later, as he claps, it is revealed to be suspended by other means.

"A most touching gathering, I must admit," he says, his deep voice condescending, "it is almost a shame that I have to break it up now, don't you all agree."

"Dysely," I snarl as he descends toward us.

"Oh, hello," he says, leering in my direction. "I thought I smelled the stench of something weak-willed, and so I came to check. You are all to be commended!" he says, gesturing as though in praise, "You have stained this field with the blood of countless innocent angels. You have invited Chaos' wrath and spurred Lady Cosmos' champions into a meaningless battle which will yield more suffering than it could ever yield victory. I do hope you're feeling well about all this."

"Can it," I say, taking a step forward. "I don't have time to listen to you babble. I've got bigger Gods to fry."

"Oh? How quaint. But I did not come this way to speak with you, little girl. Oh, no. I have not spent the last weeks fighting a rabid, rhyming mouse-woman to listen to you now."

"Hey, isn't this the guy who blew up Giruvegan and killed all those innocent people?" Benjamin asks.

"Yes, the man who sent Ramza Beoulve to his slaughter."

"Collateral damage in a war you cannot comprehend," Dysley says. "You have consumed yourselves in your quest to undo Cid Lufaine. So very, very much more is happening. I could explain, but what use would it be, to worms as simple as yourselves?"

"Real cute," Gilgamesh says. "And you, old man. Whose side are you on?"

"Does that truly matter? I play merely the role I have been given. How is it that they put it? One chooses not the God who summons you. Though loyal to Cosmos I have been, Chaos has called me to His side in the 14th cycle. Nevertheless, I remain . . . faithful to The Lady . . . for now. Now, you five have come far, to free us all of this Cycle, and to make righteous the Gods again! Allow us to lend a hand."

"What?"

"Cuore," Barthandelus says, extending a hand, "Your mother is still free. This madness can be ended. No more wars, Cuore. No more madness, nor fear. Your family can be free of all this. Now is the time."

"What?" I ask again, stunned as Cuore passes us, striding toward Dysley.

"Cuore?" Benjamin manages, a sudden fear surfacing in his voice.

Cuore reaches Dysley and turns around. Her face momentarily one of great, profound sorrow, mixed with a pain I cannot fathom, and then, just as soon as it appears, it vanishes. Her smile comes to her lips, and those eyes light up with the same terrible gleam I've seen so often. She looks at us as she has our enemies: With the joyful grin of a monster.

"I'm sorry, Farron. Remember Gogo's prophecy? Turns out I'm the traitor."

"Cuore!" Benjamin shouts, "Why?"

"Now, now," Dysley says, "all in due time. Come. If you would know the truth, seek it in the City of the Gods. Now hurry onward, dear children! Show me that you can set back the fury of The Gods you know call upon yourselves." With these words, Barthandelus vanishes, and Cuore flies off into the city.

"Cuore!" Benjamin shouts, running after her.

"Benjamin, what are you doing!" Gilgamesh calls.

"I've finally figured it out!" He answers, "What I'd do for true, real love!" And with that he runs after her.

And so we stand there, for just a moment. I gaze up at the words carved above the gate, the creed of The Gods, "A trillion stars a God." And as I look at the words, I cannot deny a feeling of being suddenly very, very small.


	43. Chapter 43 Random Encounter

**LIGHTNING**

What the hell is going on? My brain is on fire, and my lungs are positively burning as we run down the empty streets of the Holy City. Everywhere we run we can hear Benjamin calling for Cuore, and her insane laughter taunting us as we go. Dysley's condescending smirk dances before my eyes as the symphony of war plays without the city's walls. I feel like screaming, but I don't. I want to die, but I can't. I regret so much now, but it's too late. It's just . . . too late.

All of this is my fault. I can't believe how stupid I've been. Cuore was the traitor all along! How could I never have seen that? It was so obvious, in retrospect. I can't even begin to understand WHY she'd do it, but looking back, it should've been something clear, and obvious. How many times did I accuse Benjamin of being the traitor, only for it to be Cuore, of all people? I've been so blind.

What am I even doing in this stupid City? Do I really still want to free The Scholar? I've turned my back on the Cids, and I even threatened to kill him when I meet him. Why have I come this far, only to have doubts now? I think I'm just in shock. I guess, even expecting to be betrayed all along, I wasn't sufficiently prepared when the time came.

Maybe I'm just tired. It's been a long, long day. I haven't been thinking straight since the battle against Omega; or was it Shinryuu? I haven't been right for a long time now, maybe. But I just need to sleep. Today's been stressful. But I can't back down now, I've come too far. And I can't sit here second guessing myself all day.

What was that old mantra of mine? Don't think, just act? Were those my words, or someone else's? Does it matter? I just need to keep moving. Can't stop. Can't be weak. Have to keep fighting. Have to keep going. Never stop. Just move forward. Who is it that taught me this? I don't remember. Doesn't matter, I guess. All that matters is fulfilling the mission. The mission? End Cid Lufaine and Cosmos. The reason? I . . . don't know anymore.

Why not? Maybe because I can't lie that much to myself. I mean, honestly, do I care about setting Heaven free from the tyranny of the Gods? No, not any longer. Do I really care about freeing The Scholar? No, not really. I loved the man like a God once, but now I feel so distant from "love." I wonder if I've even felt it since dying. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Look at me, wondering if I've ever felt love. I could almost swear this isn't the first time, either. What a vile, repulsive thing I am. How absolutely clingy I am, to NEED someone to love me, and to make me feel loved. I will not give in to this meaningless weakness. I have no further need for it. Omega is in my hand, and I'm going to put it through the heart of the God of Gods of Gods.

Why? Because Kain said Rosa once, what feels like ages ago? No, he's robbed me of that. Because of some imperative drive to destroy that Omega's given me? Maybe, but I feel like that's some kind of excuse for what I'm doing, rather than the truth. Why, then? Why am I marching through hordes and hordes of opposition to do this, if even I can't say the reason why? All I know is I _want_ to do this. I _want_ it worse than I've ever wanted _anything_.

It's like some kind of primal NEED. Something I would've required to stay alive in Life. It isn't instinct, though, just something I REALLY, REALLY want. It'd be like a hope, or dream, if it weren't for the fact that it's more like a vendetta and a nightmare. I cling to it as my only continued purpose, but the motivation is so nebulous, so vague, that, well, I just . . . can't focus anymore.

Hey, I know, I'll do what everybody does in these situations: I'll take something ridiculous and make a big deal out of it. Yeah, that'll get me through. That'll give me purpose. So what? Ramza Beoulve and the world full of flowers? Or Cid Previa, and freedom from The Gods? Why not Previa? He was my motivation for so long. And hell, why don't I do like all Heaven does, and project the values I want onto the being I worship blindly. Heh, looking at it like that, sure, why not strive to set The Scholar free? I mean, he was there for me when no one else was. He'll take me in his arms and hold me, when I've released him from Cosmos' prison, and then he'll look me in the eyes, and softly, tenderly, he'll whisper to me the words I need to hear. The things I need to know. And he'll take away the hurt and the pain and the sorrow, and wipe away the water in my eyes, and make it all better.

Yeah, I think I could look forward to that. That'd be nice, right? That's a future worth striving for, right? One where Cid Previa sets us all free, and he cares for us, and provides and protects us, and there's no more pain, or sadness. That's the Heaven he would've wanted, right? That was the Heaven we were all promised, right? That's the Heaven I guess I'm trying to create. So first I'll smash and burn this Heaven to the ground, and from the rubble Cid Previa can build us a new one. A Heaven The Scholar builds for us, then gives to us. Yeah, that'll be . . . just perfect. A shame it's all a dirty lie, impossible to boot. I'd really like it if it weren't, though.

I come to a halt alongside Arazlam and Gilgamesh in something reminiscent of a plaza, or at least, what's left of it. In the plaza there are two figures seated on thrones made from Gods know what. Judging by the horns growing from their heads, I'd assume we're about to become quite acquainted. They draw nearer, and then the man lets out a laugh that's almost a sigh.

"What have we here? Tell me, my love, do my eyes deceive me? Or has the Orsteddian Queen walked right into our trap?" the man says.

"Pitiful creatures, lost and wayfaring. They have come all this way, and even still they do not know the truth."

"They do not need it, dear one. Truth is for those who rule. And our reign is absolute."

"Mateus, and Ultimecia the witch, I presume!" Arazlam growls, his voice surprisingly fierce.

"How quaint. The student seeks to incense us? What do you say, Ultimecia?"

"I say the worm had best hold his tongue, or he'll regret having ever grown one."

"Yeah, yeah," I say, stepping forward. "I've killed scarier than you. Step aside, or I'll rip your horns off and use them for toothpicks."

"You?" Ultimecia asks, "Who are you?"

"Don't listen to her, Lightning. This witch seeks only to confuse you."

"Does she?" Mateus questions, his voice cutting. "Or do you, 'Disciple'?"

"Yeah, we've already had one treachery today," Gilgamesh says, "don't go adding another. Something tells me we've more to worry about in you two than in Arazlam. Call it instinct."

"Or is it foolishness, borne of propinquity?"

"Look." I say, "Just shut the fuck up and MOVE. Or I'll cut you down."

"You? Cut me down?" Mateus echoes, "Who ARE you?"

"I'm me. The bitch with the power to bring your pompous ass crashing down around you so fast you'll be dead three times over before you hit the ground."

"Poetic," Ultimecia chimes, "But meaningless, ultimately. You, kill us? One cannot kill the Undying."

"Riight. Begging your pardon, but it doesn't seem to have stopped Firion."

"And I must remember to thank Cid Kramer for killing him," Mateus says. "He'd be haunted by it in the next war, if he retained memories of it."

"Kramer didn't kill them!" I spit.

"No?" Ultimecia says, her face looking puzzled. "Who did, then?"

"_**I**_ did," I answer, my face flushing at the memory, my heart boiling over.

"And who, again, are you?"

"STOP ASKING THAT!" I shout, more than a little irritated.

"But you don't ever answer it," Mateus replies, his voice a smug drawl.

"I already said, I'm the bitch-"

"That is not an answer." Ultimecia scoffs. "That is an escape. A lie. A mask you hope to hide behind. Who. Are. You?"

"But honestly," Mateus interrupts, "that isn't why we're here."

"We have a proposal for you."

"Our goals are, currently, aligned. So why not join us? Help us to wrest control from The Great Will. You want freedom from the corrupt, do you not?"

"We offer you a world ruled only by those fit, and pure. Those who are the rightful rulers of all things."

"Namely, us."

"Now there is no running from this truth: there must always be a Great Will to hold Absolute Virtue. Why not let that Great Will be ours?"

"What do you say?"

"I'd say I've got a sword here with your names on it. Now get the Hell out of my way."

"Pathetic. Come deeper into the city, child. We will . . . await you there. With your answer."

"My answer is no."

"Nevertheless, we will await you."

And with that, they vanish from before my eyes. No time to react, nothing. They're just GONE. I look at Gilgamesh and Arazlam, and neither says a word. We have more important things to worry about, I suppose. Cuore's deeper inside the city, and so's Benjamin. We can't just abandon him. Gods only know what she's thinking right now. We have to get to him before she can. If anything were to happen to him, I'd . . .

I'd what? I don't feel anything for Benjamin. Or, rather, I don't feel _that_ anything for him. He's just somebody who travels with me. Sure, I felt something _different_ that night in the house of the Cids', but that wasn't love. Not the love everybody talks about as an excuse for why they fuck one person exclusively. What I feel for him is . . . nothing, right? He's just some dork who travels with me. Should've booted his ass a long time ago.

I wish he were here now, so I could grind his face into the dirt. The NERVE of him, to just run off without me! Oh, wait, I was gonna do that to him, wasn't I? But STILL. It's one thing if I do stupid things like that. I'm allowed. He's NOT. You don't just DITCH me and get away with it. Oh, GODS is that ever hypocritical. So what? I'm me. I'm special. The rules are different for me. I'm the one who's most important.

Oh, spare yourself the preaching rationalization and hedonistic self-indulgence, Light. C'mon, girl, you're upset because he's gone, and you miss him. Can't I admit that to myself? Or am I jealous that he elected to chase after Cuore rather than stay by me? Oh, sure, he even said it. "True Love" right? Nonsense. There's no such thing as that. When I want to fuck you, we fuck. Love is just something stupid that complicates everybody and leaves us all hurt.

Well gee, if we're so highly evolved and beyond the concept and notion of love, then what the hell is it that separated me from Kain? I mean, if there is no such thing as love, and you just fuck who you want for the sake of fucking, why should I be upset? I mean, really, am I upset because he was disloyal to me? Can I even believe in that if I don't believe in love?

A little late to be thinking about that, now, isn't it? I mean, after I've butchered him and all he stood for. I mean, if I were to repent of it, now would be far, far too late, right? So to Hell with the thinking. To HELL with penance. To HELL with the light, with feeling good, and with happiness! To FUCKING HELL with justice, peace, and that which is right! I have NEVER been given it, not ONCE, so why should it EVEN be allowed to exist? No, TO HELL with any poetic reasoning. There was never anything good in this Heaven, so now I'm gonna burn it all down.

And when it is ALL gone, nothing more than a blip in the eternal darkness of The Void, there will be no one, no, not one, to miss it.

"Hello, puppets." A man says nearby. I look forward to see an attractive, silver-haired man dressed in black. Sephiroth, flanked by Jecht and Golbez.

"Hello asshole, and oh, goodbye. Get the fuck out of my way."

"Now this one's spirited," Jecht remarks, playing that he and I weren't chatting only moments ago.

"I am curious, Sephiroth," Golbez says, "What do you intend to do?"

"I have . . . a proposal for them."

"Oh Gods," I groan, "not this again."

"You have no definition," Sephiroth responds, "let me define you. Through destruction."

"Oh, that line's great. I bet you were up all night working on that one, huh?"

"Cute. Do you treat all boys this way?"

"No, just the ones who look more womanly than myself."

"HAW! She's got ya there, Sephiroth!" Jecht laughs, clapping Sephiroth on the back.

"It was a most cutting remark," Golbez adds.

"You two are so great together. Tell me, was the consummation of your relationship painful?"

"Not any more so than I imagine the consummation of yours with Strife would be," Golbez answers.

"HAW! And that is TWO against ya, kid!"

"Haven't you two more pressing matters to attend to?"

"Not really. At least, I don't. Do you, Jecht?"

"You kiddin'? More pressing than watching Sephiroth get his ass handed to him verbally by a little girl? Not a chance."

"Then let me put this more clearly: How about you leave, or I'll expose you both to the others."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you kid. The thought of me 'n Golbez here 'exposed' really gets you, huh?"

"I'll gut you for that."

"That what they're callin' it these days, huh?"

"Hey." I say, "Hate to break up your make-out session, but I've got a schedule keep, and you know, I'm pretty sure I asked nicely before, so now let me put this a little more bluntly, mkay? **MOVE**."

"As you wish," Golbez says, bowing and vanishing.

"Damn, just when things were getting fun." Jecht adds, crossing his arms and then following suit.

Sephiroth, however, remains. Seems he's got something to say. I wonder what. Does he want to know how I do my hair? I mean, honestly. Though I am curious how he manages to keep his skin looking so clean and yet so undeniably . . . slimy at the same time.

"You are no one," he says, to break the silence.

"Is it just me, or is everybody suddenly obsessed with who you are?" Gilgamesh asks.

"I know. You'd think my ass suddenly appealed to more than just you."

"If that's the case, I may have to jump ship. No offense, kitten, but when it's popular, it's just not as fun to chase, you dig?"

"Sadly, yes."

"Cease this insipid prattling, and listen!" Sephiroth barks, losing, even if temporarily, his cool. We give him our attention, considering he's one of the most feared demons in Hell and all. Plus it isn't wise to get cocky. "You are walking deeper and deeper into so many traps it's almost laughable. You want freedom, don't you? Let me define you, then. I can give you meaning, and freedom from these traps."

"Oh really? How about I define you, and give you meaning, and freedom from your incessant rants?"

"Fool. Your arrogance will cost you before the end."

"Look which pot's calling the kettle black," Arazlam sneers.

"Your loss," Sephiroth says, vanishing.

"I'm sure I'm missing out," I grumble as we begin the chase anew. We haven't gone far enough when we're stopped by two rather . . . effeminate figures. It doesn't take more than a moment to guess who they are, "Kefka and Kuja, I'm guessing?"

"EEEHEEEHEEE! The girl's gone making guesses already! C'mon Kujie-koo, laugh!"

"Why shouldn't she? We're so close to the climax and all."

"Climax, you say? I'd rather a PUNCH line, if you take my meaning."

"Allow me," I say, socking Kefka in the face. The blow is strong enough to send him back a step or two, but he doesn't flinch, nor grasp his face. In fact, he lowers back to its place with all the calm and serenity of a God.

"That hurt, kid. I don't think you understand who you just punched."

"Careful, Kefka," Kuja purrs, "One mustn't forget who she is, either."

"Her? Even SHE doesn't know who she is. Which is pretty funny when you get right down to it, huh? You really think what they're sayin' is true, huh?"

"Look at her, Kefka. She's got to be it. Even Sephiroth backed down?"

"Bah. Only the fanboys down in Hell actually think Sephiroth's strong. Just another silver-haired pretty boy, if you ask me! Er, no offense, Kujie-koo."

"From you? Oh, please. I'd have to put worth in your words, first."

"Glad to hear you still love me, Kujie."

"Until the day I take you apart piece by piece, Kefka."

"Gods, do you people just appear so you can talk IN FRONT of me? Is this some kind of new passive aggressive thing you've got going on down in Hell?"

"Oh, yeah, you," Kefka says, hurling a fireball that we barely have time to dodge. Damn, he's faster than he looks! "I nearly forgot! No fun, huh, being ignored? Kinda like how you've been ignoring the real conflict the entire time, eh?"

"Kefka, you know what we've been told. No spoilers."

"What? I know we can't tell her we're stalling her till everybody's in position. But can't I have some fun? Like THIS!" He roars, hurling another fireball just as I'm about to clobber him. Damn, his reflexes are something else.

"Oh, now look what you've done, Kefka. You've gone and made them angry. Anger won't do. How about we cool them off a bit?" Kuja says, launching several spears of ice in our direction. Gilgamesh blocks them, his arms flailing about madly, but I've got to say, these two aren't playing around. Their attacks, masked by their demeanor, are intended to kill.

"Have at, you curs!" Arazlam spits, firing several rounds of Harm magic at them. Kuja raises a hand and deflects the bolts. He yawns for effect.

"Curious little maggots, don't you see it, yet? You are naught but extras in a production much, much larger than your minds can fathom."

"Or, to put it in a different light, you're overrated." Kefka punctuates his point by firing several large blasts in our direction, causing us to scatter.

"Hey, just because you two were rejected from the transvestite's convention doesn't mean you have to take it out on us!" Gilgamesh shouts, his face a strange smile, as though he were enjoying himself. "Now then, come at me, bro! Let's have it! Which sword shall I stain with your blood? Time you lot stopped fighting and dressing like ladies, and began the expository banter!"

"Doesn't he have that backwards, Kujie?"

"You ARE Gilgamesh, aren't you?"

"Now!" Gilgamesh cries, moments too late for Kefka and Kuja to realize how stupid they've been. As they whip their heads in my direction, I'm already behind them. And coming from the sides. I'm pretty sure Omega and I are breaking some important rule about only being in one place at any given time, but I don't much care.

"Damn! Where'd they all come from? There's so many of her!"

"Laughable, this prima donna and her perfect powers. I suggest we leave her to her fantasy, Kefka."

"FUUUUUUUUINE. I guess we've no choice." And with that, they vanish as I collide with myselves back into one person. It would hurt, except . . . damn, I never realized my skin felt so soft!

"The HELL was that?" Gilgamesh asks.

"Dunno. Those two are crazy."

"No," Arazlam blurts, "YOU. What did you do just now?"

"I dunno. I broke the rules, I guess."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that."

"Really? No explanation beyond 'I broke the rules'?"

"Yeah, no explanation beyond that."

"Kitten, I like your style."

"Let's get a move on. I don't like this place. And we need to find Benjamin. Every minute wasted is a minute-"

"Oh? Is our little Lightning finally showing some feeling? Good to see you recover."

"Shut up Gilgamesh. Let's just go."


	44. Chapter 44 Princess

**LIGHTNING**

I recognize the three people standing at the end of the street before us. It'd be impossible to forget their faces, even if they weren't responsible for burning Phantom Village to the ground. They are The Cloud of Darkness, ExDeath, and Goegnuo. Just looking at them makes me feel colder. I know we're walking into some kind of trap, but, as much as I want to avoid it, my anger just keeps telling me to push forward.

We come to a halt before them, weapons drawn. Nobody moves, speaks, or makes a sound for a moment. We're all frozen, three against three, in the middle of the Holy City. My heart's beating so loudly I swear you can hear it through my chest. And then, after hanging for what feels like an eternity, the silence is broken. The noise that breaks it? ExDeath's laugh.

"HUAH HA HA! A most brilliant occurance!"

"You came," purrs the Cloud of Darkness.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," I answer.

"We are pleased to have you grace our presence once more, Omega." Goegnuo says, outstretching its hands.

"Gogo, how long it's been."

"Master Gilgamesh, we are pleased to see you have _complied_ with our request."

"Yeah, like you gave me any chance, burning my home to the ground."

"We ourselves had no choice. Omega chose this. Death and destruction have followed her every step of the way, has it not? Giruvegan, Traverse Town, Romantic, The Crystal World, Comfortable, Journey's End, The White Hot Field. Have you not seen how, where Omega goes, death is sure to follow? We had to do this, to bring about the end of all things."

"You fools! You cannot push us into your plans!" Arazlam says, his face a mask of anger.

"Impudent worm, how is this different from your own plan?" ExDeath snaps.

"Oh, yes, we are only too aware of your own hand," The Cloud adds.

"Now, Omega, will you not bring an end to all things, here and now?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT." I say, very, very annoyed. "I am NOT Omega."

"Then tell us," The Emperor calls, appearing nearby, "WHO are YOU?"

"We have cause to fear Omega," Ultimecia whispers, bowing into appearance, "but if you are not her, who, then, are you?"

"HEEHEEHEE, don't tell me, you still haven't figured it out?" Kefka inquires, his head bursting into reality, followed moments after by his body, standing atop it.

"Now, now. Is it fair to mock the woman, when she doesn't know who or what she is? Is it right for us to spoil the moment, rather than merely foreshadow the grand finale? I should think Barthandelus would be . . . upset."

"Stay then thy tongue, Kuja," growls a man in armor, coming to view, "But I would that the bitch knew the truth ere judgment's hammer fall."

"How kind, Gabranth. But I'd rather give her one last chance to beg forgiveness."

"Would you, Sephiroth? You've grown weak. Repentance is a myth. Progression and Improvement are lies, not cycles."

"C'mon, Golbez, brooding much, ain't ya? Let's just tell the girl who and what she is and have done with it."

"Jecht," Goegnuo says, raising a hand, "Let us ask her, first. If you are not Omega, who, then, are you?"

"I'm Lightning."

This response elicits a score of laughs from the villains, and heat in my face. I don't get what they're laughing about. The Hell is so funny? I AM Lightning. So what the Hell is so funny? Gilgamesh and Arazlam look every bit as puzzled.

"No," The Cloud of Darkness says, slithering close to me, her body pressing against mine, my limbs unable to resist. "You are not." She leans in for a kiss, then, in a puff of smoke, vanishes, reappearing by ExDeath's side once more.

"Insignificant!" ExDeath cries, "That is this 'Lightning' of which you speak. Now tell us! Who. Are. You?"

"I-I'm Claire Farron. Codename: Lightning. Obsidian Black Ops."

"Obsidian?" Kuja snorts, "No such organization has ever existed."

"Or rather," Kefka says, barely containing his laughter, "It only existed in your head. The five Cids, Mr. Durai there, and you. That is the entire membership of 'Obsidian.'"

"What? But I-"

"Oh come now, you're going to fall that easily?" Golbez interjects, "Did you ever even wonder how many operatives Obsidian had? Did you ever question who the man who recruited you was, or why you only interacted with Mr. Durai and The Cids?"

"Oh, but we're dodging the subject, aren't we?" Sephiroth asks, a smug smirk spreading across his serpentine face, "You are not Claire Farron."

"Wait, what? I-"

"You. Are. Not. Claire. Farron." Kefka says, as though spelling a word out to a child.

"What do you mean I'm not Claire Farron! Of COURSE I'm-"

"No, no, no." Golbez says, shrugging. "You are not Claire Farron."

"Do you understand our words now?" Goegnuo asks.

"You are not the Etrosian Princess simply because of your connection to Etro," Ultimecia says.

"And if it were merely being betrayed that made you the Oersteddian Queen, you would not thus be named," Gabranth adds.

"No." I say, suddenly understanding where this is going.

"Lightning, don't listen to them!" Arazlam shouts.

"No, do listen," Kuja insists, "leave behind the lies which you have believed for so long. Begin, now, your path to the truth!"

"No." I repeat, trying to steady myself.

"Yes, now you see it." Sephiroth states, advancing on me, "You are but a shadow, longing to be something more."

"No." I say again, desperately seeking a way out. Gilgamesh steps between Sephiroth and I, but those green eyes just gaze past him and into my soul.

"C'mon, girlie. You must've seen this comin'?"

"No, I rather think she did not." Mateus says, chuckling softly.

"No." I say one more time.

"Say it." The Cloud moans.

"Say it." ExDeath barks.

"Say it." The others chant in Goegnuo's direction

"You," Goegnuo says, drawing its shambling mass nearer, "are Serah Farron."

"No!" I shout, confused, alarmed, and frustrated.

"Oh, yes. You have been Serah Farron for all your life, and all your death. You are not Lightning. You are not Claire. You are Serah. Or you are Omega. These are the choices we leave you. The options that remain."

"So, truth's light at last shining upon you, will you not take my hand?" Sephiroth asks.

"Accept your sentence as our angel of death, and bring Heaven crashing down!" Gabranth roars.

"This, is your fate. Accept it."

"Join us, and cast aside your autonomy!"

"No." I answer, pulling myself together. "No, I won't."

"Why not?" Mateus asks, "Your will coincides with ours. You want to end Cid Lufaine and Cosmos, and be free of this world and its wearisome ways; so do we. You want-"

_**I SAID: NO.**_

The fiends as a whole step back. Fear is apparent on all their faces. A fear I had not thought possible in the faces of creatures such as they. Mateus is obviously shaking. Even Goegnuo seems to be shaken by this. Maybe it hadn't counted on my rejection.

"Let me say something for the record: I don't know WHAT I want anymore, okay? But I _**KNOW**_ I don't want whatever you lot have to offer. And another thing: If I'm as terrifying as you all say, why should I join you? I can end the lot of you, here, and now."

"Yeah, well, I was bored of this, anyway," Kefka says, shrugging as he vanishes.

"The war has begun. We cannot tarry here a moment more," Gabranth adds, following suit.

"I suppose," Kuja says, "That the final curtain needs no audience. Or is this the opening?"

"Who cares? Let's get outta here."

"A wise decision, Jecht."

"Running so soon, Golbez?" Sephiroth asks, vanishing with them.

"Pathetic. You simply cannot find good help these days," Mateus snivels, going with.

"Know this, little one: there is no running from this pain."

"It would seem you have chosen to squander your worth on an aimless mission! I will come to laugh when you have failed."

"What a terrible waste."

And with these words, only Goegnuo remains. It stays quiet a moment, regarding us thoughtfully, neither moving, neither speaking. Just standing there, a heap of robes piled on a body without the least bit of interest in what's going on. I can't see a single eye on it, but I can feel it staring at me, eyes boring into me.

"You have no goal, Serah. Cast yourself off, and become Omega. Let The Void be your motivation, and all things to you will become clear. You cannot continue any longer."

"Shut up!" I shout, dashing forward and striking at the robes. The rend before me, but no flesh meets Omega's blade. Behind me another Goegnuo appears.

"What is the matter?"

"I am not Serah Farron." I whip around and strike again, the robes merely falling, more rising from the floor.

"Correction: You do not HAVE to be Serah Farron. But you cannot be Lightning, and you are not Claire Farron. Why should you cling to these illusions?"

"They're not illusions, they're the truth!" I roar, attacking again, Goegnuo again appearing behind me.

"But they are. There is only one truth: Omega. You can be that truth. But to do so, you will have to cast off Serah."

"I AM NOT SERAH!"

"You do not have to BE Serah, but you most certainly ARE her."

"Shut up! Just shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!"

"Do our words offend you? We beg your forgiveness. We mean no offense, only your enlightenment. The Void calls for freedom. Is this not the freedom you have desired all along? No one shall suffer in the endless depth of The Void. Come, let it's darkness soothe all your pains."

"I'd sooner shove this sword down my throat."

"This can be arranged."

"Get out of my sight. Now."

"You cannot hurt us."

"Oh yeah? I have a tendency to break the rules people set."

"This is not a rule. It is a fact."

"Better still."

"As you would, then. Know, though, that The Void welcomes you, even at the last. Our victory is assured, no matter the time it takes us."

"You keep telling yourself that."

"We will."

And then, without another word, Goegnuo is gone. And it's just the three of us again. And as I hear Gilgamesh and Arazlam step toward me, I feel something rising in my throat. I don't want to look at them. I can't handle their questions. Not now. I need to keep moving. Keep running. No stopping. No. No stopping.


	45. Chapter 45 We're Friends, Right?

**LIGHTNING . . . ?**

I'm not crying. These aren't tears. And I'm NOT running from Gilgamesh and Arazlam for fear of confronting the truth. Why? Because it's absolute bullshit. No way am I Serah. I'm Claire. Even thinking otherwise is the stupidest, most ridiculous thing in the world. Still . . . Snow's words would make sense if . . .

NO! I won't give myself to such thinking. I push the image of the man holding me, of Snow, of Ramza, and anybody else out of my head. I take all the fear and confusion and transform it into hatred. If I can't kill my emotions, I'll use them to kill anything else I can. And at the moment, I've got a great idea of who and what to kill.

Now that the fiends are all gone, the Holy City ought to be perfectly and completely quiet. It isn't. Oh, no, there's still a sound very prominently filling the air in the empty streets. The laughter of Cuore, ever more disturbing, ricochets from wall to wall as I run along the paths toward the Holy Temple. Every last moment I spend listening to her laugh only serves as a moment more in which I long to rip her limb from limb.

That dirty bitch! What is she thinking, switching sides like this? Worse still, she's been planning this all along! All the times I mistreated Benjamin, all the times I let her get away with hurting him, all the times I've even listened to her advice, to her counsel, relied on her aide in battle, and she was mocking me! To think she'd been plotting this the whole damn time.

I'm worried about Benjamin, too. What was he thinking, running ahead like that? What the hell was he talking about, "True Love"? Yeah, I knew he was interested in Cuore, but "True Love"? Isn't that going a bit too far? Am I really worried that he's safe, and that his decision may have been something other than what he professed, or am I just jealous that Cuore's the one holding all his attention, and not me?

That's stupid. I'm not attracted to Benjamin. I'm not. Why, then, am I so upset about how he feels, what he thinks, and whether or not he's okay? And dammit, no matter how much I try not to be, I really, really, really am worried for his safety. If anything were to happen to him, I don't-

I don't want to think about it. I can't think about it. Benjamin will be fine. He made it across the White Hot Field, he'll be okay here. What's the worst that could happen? I mean, really? The only ones in this city are me, Gilgamesh and Arazlam, Cuore, him, and . . . Barthandelus! If that dirty bastard lays a finger on Benjamin I will do things to him that would make even Firion's treatment of The Emperor look lenient. I would break him so hard and with such force that there wouldn't even be a fine powder left of his soul. Hell, I'll probably do that to him anyway.

As I think this, I become aware of someone by my side. I turn to discover Cuore, walking alongside me. She smiles, nods her head, then melts. Another laugh of hers ripples through the air, and I'm forced to wonder if I haven't gone mad yet. A moment later another Cuore appears before me, staring, it would seem, straight past me. I stop mid-run to stare back.

"Do you know who I am?" She asks.

"Cuore, you bitch!"

"I am Cuore. I was a nice girl, and the sole survivor of the Maenad race."

"Oh yes, do go on. Try and get to me with your sob story, you treacherous bitch!"

"In death I was, like many from my world, selected as a champion to protect The Gods. Unlike say, Cecil, Kain, or Edge, though, I was chosen to perform more covert operations."

I run forward and strike her, knowing already that the apparition will vanish. When she's gone, another appears behind me.

"Sometime prior to The Day of Cid, we received intelligence that Cid Previa would attempt to interfere with Cosmos' Cycle. I was chosen as a sleeper to monitor Previa and his group."

"So you DID know all along!"

"In life and in death there was but one person I loved: my mother, Rydia. Heaven deemed Summoners a liability, and The Summoned as well. Bahamut's execution was a precursor to New Heaven. Had you not murdered Terra Branford, Heaven would have. Barthandelus assured me my mother's safety, in exchange for my continued surveillance of you and your comrades."

"That's no excuse! You lied to us! All of us!"

"Dysley feared that I'd grown soft, or attached in some way to the lot of you- a foolish, baseless belief. Rydia became a hostage to ensure that I did not deviate from his designs."

"You betrayed us!"

"I have done what had to be done, for the sake of love."

And then she's gone again. For love? Oh HELL no. I am so so so so so so so so so so SICK of hearing people say that word today. Love! There's no such thing. She stabbed me in the back, and now I'm gonna rip her spine out of her with my bare hands. Then we'll see just how far these damn idiots will go "for True Love".

After a moment of running, Arazlam and Gilgamesh catch up to me. As they do, we three come to a complete halt. Before us stands Benjamin, head bowed, blade outstretched in our direction. He shudders for a moment, then his head snaps up, and he stares at us. His eyes have changed. Something very, very different is there.

"Don't come any closer!" He shouts, his voice nervous, face afraid.

"Benjamin!" I gasp, "What're you doing?"

"I said STAY BACK!" He shouts, the fear turning to anger. "Don't you take one step further, or I swear, I'll cut you down!"

A laugh from above draws my attention. There's Cuore, sitting in a window-sill, looking as though nothing were the matter. She sighs then says, "I've been dreaming of this moment, did you know that? Oh, yes, Lightning- Or can I call you Serah? The cat's out of the bag, after all. I've been waiting for the moment when I would finally get to teach you a lesson for being such a smug, selfish bitch." Her hand snaps into position with surprising speed and she fires several blasts in my direction. I don't bother moving, and the bolts fly to the side.

"Toying with your prey? You seem confident."

"Not confident; certain. You will not leave this city alive today."

"Neither will you," I say, "why don't you come down here so I can show you what I mean."

"That's enough!" Benjamin says, stepping forward. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I say, getting impatient. I worried for what, exactly? "She's betrayed us! Why are you siding with her?"

"Lightning's got a point-" Arazlam begins.

"Don't mock me!" Benjamin shouts. "Don't you DARE mock me." His eyes rest on Arazlam with a fury I had never expected to see from Benjamin. I'm surprised enough to step backward. I feel something awful inside me. "You know as well as I do: That's not Lightning!"

"Don't be a fool!" Gilgamesh says, "Of course-"

"SHUT UP!" Benjamin roars, advancing another step. "Weren't YOU the one who told me I should keep quiet about it? Well I'm done. You and I, we all know that that THING isn't Lightning. It killed her that day at Journey's End. It ripped her throat out as she begged for mercy. That's NOT Lightning."

"Oh, for the love of the Gods, WHAT?" I ask. "You're just confused because it looked like me."

"Did it? Or do you look like her? You're a monster. A terrible one. I'm the hero, and I'm going to protect the woman I love. So GO, or I'll cut you down."

"Oh, Bennie!" Cuore cries, "I'm so scared. Keep them away from me! Here, I'll help!" And with that she's disappeared, only to appear again a moment later, firing several more flare-stars at us. We try to dodge, but as we jump backward, she appears there, firing several more. Every move we make she remains a step ahead of us. She knows the team's tactics, and she's only to prepared to play against our strengths.

Benjamin, meanwhile, has come running at us, not at all afraid of the blasts of energy. He raises his sword and locks it with mine. His eyes look so different now, like some other man's. Could this be the same laughable, foolish Benjamin who journeyed all this way with us?

"You monster," He snarls, "You killed my friend. I'll avenge her death by taking you down!"

"Benjamin, it's ME! Lightning! Are you really so stupid?"

"Ha! Try all you want to fool me, you never will. I heard her. I heard her BEG for mercy as you ripped her throat open. I tried to stop you then. I tried to save her, but everybody else, they just held me back. Restrained me. Let you kill her. What I do here may not atone for my weakness then, but at the very least I will put your abominable hide down!"

"You IDIOT! I'm not DEAD! I'm right here! I killed OMEGA. OMEGA begged for mercy. I KILLED HER! I DID!"

"No way." Benjamin says, his voice either in perfect denial or absolute certainty, "Lightning was one of the good guys. She'd never murder someone begging for mercy. And she sure as hell wouldn't've killed as many people as you have today!"

"It's no use!" Cuore says, suddenly right behind me. "You can't fool him any longer, Ms. Whoever-You-Are. His love has opened his eyes to the 'truth'. He's following his dreams and all that."

Before I can get in a word, Benjamin pushes me backward with all his strength, causing me to stumble and Cuore to vanish.

"Now, now, do take your punishment like a good girl, okay? You deserve a sound thrashing after all."

"Why don't you come down here and fight me!"

In response, Cuore appears before me just long enough to slap me upside the head. She starts to disappear, but not before I grab her arm and twist it with enough force to break it. When she reappears she's screaming. Her bone is protruding from her arm, blood flying everywhere. She turns toward Benjamin and shouts, "Help me! HELP ME!"

Benjamin raises his sword and rushes me again. Our blades lock once more, and as they do, I can see tears streaming down Benjamin's face. He really does believe that I'm a monster come to hurt his beloved. But his eyes still register my face as Lightning's, and it's tearing him apart. I'm sorry Benjamin. I'll try not to kill you, but you're not making it easy on me!

He strikes again and again, with more ferocity every time. And as he does, he says, "Look at you! You couldn't even PASS for her! Lightning was a clean woman, and here you are, drenched in blood. Your hair isn't even white anymore, so much as it is stained black! You cheap, worthless imitation!"

"Oh yeah? What about Garland? Didn't I get messy then?"

"That's different! He was a monster who'd held Heaven in terror for ages!"

"He was a defenseless and dying man! I ripped him apart, Benjamin! This is me, the real me!"

"Even if that WERE true, it'd still be better for me to end you here than let you go any further."

"Then DO it, Benjamin! Stop me if you can!"

His blade seems to strengthen, his resolve growing, and his attacks come with greater speed and fury. I'm amazed, really. Not even Kain put up this much of a fight. But then, I wasn't holding back against Kain, either.

"Bring it on, monster!" Benjamin says, knocking Omega from my hands. Damn! I hadn't seen that coming! Suddenly he's charging me to run me through, and I drop to the ground moments before he arrives. As he passes I grab his legs and hug them shut, causing him to fall forward. I leap atop him, and after a moment's brawl I emerge the victor, Benjamin's sword in my hand.

"Cuore!" He shouts, "help me, please! I've done all I can for you, for our love."

"Oh?" Cuore answers from somewhere above me. "Have you? Well if it's for our love, as you say, I guess I'd better . . ." She warps down to my side, backhanding me, throwing me off balance for a moment. Which is plenty of time for her to grab Ben and teleport out of our reach. She gives him a long, deep kiss, then, releasing her lips from his, says, "I guess I'd better tell you . . . I never loved you." With these words I realize she's stuck a long dagger into Benjamin's back, using the embrace and kiss to hide it.

His eyes are wide, face pale as he falls to the ground beneath her. Her laughter fills the air as she steps back, then looks toward us. "Let me tell you something. I started this job to keep my mother safe. But after awhile I came to realize the truth in your teachings, Serah: Love doesn't mean shit. All I'm in it for now is to blow shit up. I'm afraid you lot'll have to wait a bit longer for your explosive finales, though. Ta-ta!"

And with that, she's gone. Vanished once more. And moments after she disappears we run to Benjamin's side. I arrive first, and manage to prop him up. He looks at me again, the way he had that night in the manor of the Cids, and a weak, faint smile comes across his lips. His body has already begun to fade, its weight vastly reduced, its warmth evaporating swiftly. He extends a hand to my face, and runs it along my cheek. Blood is running down his chest from the wound.

"Hey, Lightning," he manages. "Is that you? I'm sorry for all the times I let you down. I wanted for us all to be happy, like the heroes always are in stories. I thought I'd get the girl, and save the day, now look what I've gone and done."

"Ben, hey, Ben," I manage, "Hey, don't talk. We're gonna get you some help. Right Arazlam? Don't you know any spells to fix this?"

Arazlam's face is a solemn, somber mask. I know already that he can't, but I lash out anyway, "Well? Can't you!"

"Don't," Benjamin says, "You're always so angry. Did you know you look better when you smile? It's true. I guess it's my fault, though, for always letting you down."

"No, no, don't say that. You're great Benjamin. You hear me? You ARE great. You're gonna make it through this."

"Hey, Lightning?"

"What?"

"I'm happy . . . that we could be . . . friends. And, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? You don't have to apologize."

"I did it all for . . . true love. That's what love is . . . when you sacrifice for the ones you hold dearest . . . Thanks . . . for all the fun . . . and please . . . don't forget about . . . me . . ."

"Benjamin! Save your strength. Don't talk Ben. C'mon. Don't talk. You're gonna make it. Do you hear me? Benjamin? Ben? BENJAMIN!"

No response.

"Benjamin, please, you can't die!"

No response.

"Benjamin, don't go! C'mon Benjamin, don't go!"

No response.

"Ben, don't do this to me. You can't die without me apologizing!"

No response.

"Ben . . . I need you. I can't do this without you."

No response.

"Benjamin, why? You can't just leave me here without you."

No response.

"Benjamin, please! Please come back . . ."

No response.

"I'm so sorry . . ."

"Lightning. He's gone." Arazlam says.

And for the first time in what feels like ages, I realize I'm crying. I can't fight the tears. I have no more strength. I can't keep moving. I'm done. I quit. I don't want to do this anymore. I begin to cry, and every last emotion and feeling I've been avoiding since this all began breaks through and floods into me. And as I cry into Benjamin's lifeless chest, I scream. I scream like a little girl.


	46. Chapter 46 Broken Bottle

**ARAZLAM DURAI**

"He's gone," I repeat, my voice coming weakly from my lips. I can feel my hands shaking, the sweat pouring down the sides of my face. My mouth has gone dry, and my lips are chapped. My stomach has frozen over, and I feel as though I could faint. I did not ever foresee this. All has gone . . . quite astray. This is not the plan I was lead to believe in.

"Gone WHERE?" Lightning asks, lashing out at me in futile rage. Tears run down her face, her eyes burning as she glares at me. She wants to know what becomes of those who die after death. I have no answer to give her. I offer no response.

As she turns back to her tears, the body at last fades completely. I'm at a loss for words. The plan was to free The Scholar from Cosmos, and force Cid Lufaine into a stage of negotiation, wherein all Heaven would be made equal, governed by those elected by the whole, and not ruled over by some petty group of Gods. Yet now, at the final hour, confronted by the truth, I feel as though my blood has run dry, and the strength has left my legs.

I don't want to do it. I must resist. My feelings were cultivated specifically so that I would cave in at this moment. I will not comfort her. I will stand and witness this woman break, her heart imploding beneath the pressure of the sins she has heretofore committed, and I will not do it out of malice. No, I will do it because I love her as though she were my own child. For that reason I will allow her to destroy herself. Because if I save her now, all Heaven will die.

"What have I done?" She cries, "what did I ever do, to deserve this? What did I do to deserve this damn curse? I was so fucking STUPID. How could I have been so . . ." Her words are lost again in a sea of tears and cries that cause her to quake.

"Hey," Gilgamesh says to her, reaching out. "Don't blame yourself for this. Blame God, or blame His servants. But don't blame yourself."

"Why not?" She asks, her voice so pitiful it is impossible to detect even malice therein. "This is my fault. All of it. Benjamin was right. I'm a monster."

"No, no you're not!" Gilgamesh says, laying a hand on her shoulder. She shrugs it off fiercely. He withdraws his hand and continues, "You are a hero. You've freed Heaven from Shinryuu's game, and you've protected it from hypocrisy, and from things like the Memory Eater."

"I killed innocent people trying to defend their homes. I've torn families apart in jealous rage! I killed people who were my friends as I pranced about like some self-righteous bitch who thought her law was the only right one, spiraling further and further into my stupid fucking inability to even once-" Her voice again gives way to a shrieking sob so awful I cannot help but feel less a man for remaining still at its beckoning sorrow.

"You keep talking like that and you'll end up in a dark place," Gilgamesh says, attempting, pathetically, to comfort her in some way or another.

"I deserve worse than a dark place," she sobs, "everywhere I've been has been visited with death and destruction from the beginning!"

"That's not true!"

"Don't LIE to me! Bahamut was PURGED."

"Cosmos' extremist views."

"Phantom Village was burned to the ground."

"Gogo's madness."

"The Prison At Sanity's Edge was opened."

"Chaos' incapacity to escape the war ordained by Cid Lufaine."

"GIRUVEGAN IS GONE. Ramza asked us to SAVE those people and we RAN."

"Barthandelus' use of Cosmos' zeal to satisfy his own warped designs."

"We MURDERED Raem!"

"She was eating your memories!"

"I mauled an old and defenseless man!"

"He was dying!"

"I RIPPED HIS ARMS OFF WITH MY HANDS!"

"He was a killer responsible for more death and suffering than you can even conceive!"

"He couldn't even REMEMBER HIS NAME!"

"He was a MONSTER!"

"Shinryuu and the whole Crystal World collapsed at my coming!"

"Good riddance! Shinryuu was a manipulative bastard who saw Himself as better than us!"

"Firion is DEAD."

"Then blame Obsidian! They knew he would die!"

"Terra Branford's children are orphans because of me."

"Again, work of The Cids. You had no idea-"

"That doesn't excuse it! Ignorance is no excuse! My lust for power caused them to die horrible deaths! I can hear their screams even now! Oh GODS I can hear the screaming! Why didn't I stop it? Why didn't I try and stop it? Oh my God, if at any time I had just stopped, if I had just refused to continue, if I had just LISTENED or THOUGHT even once, oh God oh God oh God oh God oh-"

"Stop it! Stop saying this! What good can come of saying all this?"

"What good do I deserve? Isn't it a little late for me to even think of goodness? I murdered Kain Highwind, Cecil Harvey, Ceodore Harvey, Celes Chere, Snow Villiers, and so many others. And do you know why?"

"No! Nobody needs to know WHY Lightning. Just STOP IT. You're never going to escape this road if you keep going down it!"

"Do you know why I killed them?" She continues, heedless of Gilgamesh's mounting anger, "Because Kain once said something accidentally during sex. Because when he was fucking my brains out, he called for some other bitch. So I fucked him back. Oh, yeah, I fucked him _real good_, don't you think?"

"Listen to yourself! You're raving! You're losing your grip!"

"So what if I am? I don't even know WHO I am! Grip? GRIP? Grip on WHAT? Who the FUCK am I anyway? I thought I was Claire Farron. According to everybody today, I'm Serah. Benjamin said I'm Omega. Do you know what that means?"

"GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!"

"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT MEANS! I killed her. Whoever the woman was that you'd all been travelling with. I killed her and stole everything it meant to be her. She begged for mercy and I jammed my fingers THROUGH her throat and ripped it open. I held her down as she struggled, like a mother holds a child as it throws a tantrum! I held her in my arms and stole everything she ever was. And then, after all that, I fucking scared the shit out of Benjamin. So much so that he decided to side with Cuore, and really, CAN YOU BLAME HIM?

"I mean think, for just a moment, THINK. I'd killed everybody else she already knew. What must it have been like, for Cuore to cross that field and see the bodies of people she knew all her life and death? Can you blame her if she snapped and betrayed me to save her mother from my murderous rage? Can you blame Benjamin for following her after I'd abused him at every turn?

"All of this! All of it! It's all my fault! Every last thing I've done since I began has come to this: Benjamin's death. And you know what the worst part is? The hypocrisy of it all. I've killed so many just to get this far, and the moment someone close to me dies? I suddenly break under the pressure. What the fuck kind of-"

Gilgamesh slaps her face, the shock causing her momentarily to quiet down. Her body ceases to shudder, the sobs dying down after a few minutes more. She gets to her feet and draws Omega, pointing the blackened blade at us. Her head is bowed, her voice, as she speaks, is eerily more stable this time.

"I don't want it anymore." And with that, she releases the sword from her hand, causing it to fall to the ground with a clang. "I'm done with this. I don't want it. I can't do this anymore. Somebody else do it. Just leave me alone."

"Lightning," Gilgamesh begins, "I've advocated forgetting this quest so many times I should be ecstatic to hear you say this. But dammit, woman, even if you wanted to, I wouldn't take your sorry ass with me now."

She glares at him, her face red and damp, tears flowing still down her cheeks. Her eyes are alight with an offense one cannot easily explain. I suppose she must be upset to hear him say this. Still, she says, "Yeah? Well fuck off. I wouldn't go anywhere with you anyway. Just leave me here to die. Or take the damn sword and finish me off yourself. Because I can't go on anymore. I'm out."

"Listen to you! Do you even care that Benjamin died, just now?"

"Of course I do! But what the fuck-"

Gilgamesh slaps her again. "Do you care? He fought alongside you to free Heaven. You want to take the blame for his death? Fine. But have the decency to take the responsibility that comes with that! You say you pushed the man to his death? Then at least avenge it!"

"Avenge it? Benjamin's dead! You want me to kill Cuore now, too?"

"Me? I don't want anything. I don't even know why the hell I came this far. But that's not really the point now, is it? The question here really is: What do YOU want?"

"I . . . don't know . . . and, oh Gods, I'm so pathetic even my self-deprecation is detestable!"

I . . . will say the following now, and I will put it in words that, whoever should discover this record can understand: No man, no matter how righteous, pure, or heroic could resist doing what I did next. No man, no matter how dispassionate, unfeeling, cold, calculating, methodical, or absolutely logical he were, could keep himself from doing what I did next. No man, no matter who he was, be he father or childless, be he attracted to women or not, be he sane or otherwise, no man, who possessed even the smallest mote, the tiniest jot, the most undetectable echo of a trace of a remnant of good within his soul, could keep himself from doing what I did next.

Perhaps condemnation should fall upon me from you, who are reading this, and who know the end result of my actions. Perhaps I deserved whatever fate will befall me. But with all the Gods as my witnesses, I had seen enough. I loved this woman as though she were my daughter, and though I knew that what I was about to do would doom all reality to a fate designed long before I had met her, I could not stand by any longer. Her heart was breaking before me, and I, for all I was worth, could bear to see it no longer.

"Madam, pick up your sword." I stated, my voice coming flat in an attempt to keep emotions from betraying me.

"What?" She mutters.

"I said, pick up your sword!"

"Why?" She asks, looking at me with something like anger mingled with grief.

"Did you come this far to fail now?"

"Oh, so it's about the mission? Fuck that."

"Oh? Did I say this was about a mission? NO. Now stop being a selfish child and pick up that sword!"

"Excuse me, what?"

"Didn't you hear Gilgamesh? You want the blame for all those deaths? Take it. I certainly take it. And I would be only too willing to take the responsibility upon myself, but I cannot do that alone. Do you truly repent of having murdered so many? Do you actually feel anything for having cost Benjamin his life? For Terra? Firion? Kain? Snow? Cecil? If your tears now have been anything more than another childish display of self-indulgence and self-pity pick up that sword this moment!"

"What do you-"

"Madam! If you feel any ounce of guilt for what you have done, you will see this through to its end. You sit here and cry about it and none of it will have ever mattered! You will have sacrificed their lives in vain."

"Madam? Excuse me, but you don't even know my _name._"

"So what? Is a name really so important? You can shape the future by your actions, and yet, like a child, you sit here and wallow in your misery. You are on the verge of making right all that is wrong, and to get here you admit to having done much wrong, too. Perhaps the ends don't justify the means, but by all the Gods in Heaven, _you cannot know unless you actually achieve an end!_"

"Then end it yourself. I can't do this anymore. Who's next? You? Me? Gilgamesh? How many more people will die just because of this pathetic excuse you've created for me to go on?"

"Damn it woman! How many more people will die even if you do not? Do you want to hear what will happen if you keep going down this road? I'll tell you what will happen! Cosmos and whatever remnants of Her guard remain will burst from the Temple and cut us down where we are. The 14th Cycle will conclude much as have the others, and, when it does, the heroes will awaken to find that their homes are gone. For while everybody is off playing war, Cosmos' purge will continue onward! So why the HELL not give meaning to Benjamin's death, and try and at least _pretend_ that what we are doing is for the greater good!"

I bend down and pick up the blade, then extend the hilt toward her. She looks at me as though I had offered her the tip instead. I take a step toward her, and then another. She puts a hand to Omega's hilt and looks me in the eyes. For a moment I can see it in her. The will to plunge the blade deep within me, close as we are. I can see it, feel it, and know it.

Then she crumples into my embrace, her right arm clutching Omega, but hanging limp at her side, her left banging on my fist as she cried against me in vain. My soul cringes with the shame of what I have done. I do not justify, nor rationalize this action. I have crossed the moral event horizon, and now am become Death, destroyer of worlds. I am the monster, and yet I retain still my sanity.

Unless, of course, I have been insane all along.

"I don't want to do it," she cries.

"But you must," I respond.

"I know," she says between sobs.

"Then let us go. Cid Lufaine awaits."

"I know," she repeats.


	47. Chapter 47 I, Omega

**SERAH . . . ?**

Walking has become to me a pain. Every step I take requires all my courage and strength. Going further hurts. Every step I take takes me one step further from Benjamin, and one step closer to Cid Lufaine. But before I settle my score with the King of Heaven, I've a few items to cross off my list. Namely, Cuore.

She's waiting for us, conveniently, at the top of the steps leading into the Holy Temple. Her clothing has changed, from the outfit she wore whilst travelling with us, to a splendid white robe, flowing sanctimoniously in the breeze. Around her dances a pompous light, magic filling her very being. She is indistinguishable from all other Maenad, save it be for her face. Maenad did not have such faces. They showed contempt as it was programmed into them by their Creator.

Cuore's look is not one of contempt. No, it is one of glee. She is ecstatic to see us approach. I wonder if my face is full of rage right now? I feel it. The burning anger and hatred that has been the wellspring of all my might thus far. But mostly I just feel sad. A sorrow that nothing can fix, a void that nothing can fill. I'm too drained to muse as to its purpose.

Cuore outstretches her hands as we approach, and her voice fills the air. It seems so cheerful, so pleased. So damned smug. She croons, "Welcome, Serah Farron! Welcome to the end of all ends! To the steps of the Holy Palace of Our Lord. But what is this? Somebody is missing from our group! Where is Bennie?"

"YOU BITCH!" Gilgamesh roars. He does not wait for further dialogue, and charges up the steps in Cuore's direction. Cuore extends a hand and sends Gilgamesh flying back down the great length of stone.

"Tsk, tsk. I've had my fill of you, Gilly. You were irritating at best, and more vexing than having a hedgepig forced down one's gullet at worst. I tire of your "I'm so cool" act and unending repertoire of innuendos. But please, prove your inferiority by attacking me again."

"BITCH!" He growls, getting to his feet and charging again. Cuore waves her hand again, and a bolt of energy knocks Gilgamesh to his feet.

"A meaningless effort. The real Gilgamesh could have dodged that, but, then, that's my point, isn't it?"

"Oh, cease this at once!" Arazlam barks, stepping forward. "We've had more than enough boggling exposition from the likes of you, today!"

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Cuore asks, suddenly appearing in front of Arazlam. "I wonder, just how much else would you like to hide from the rest of us?" She vanishes and resumes her post atop the stairs, this time seated midair. "I mean, really. We all had our secrets, didn't we? Nobody in this group was really loyal to it. You're all just mad, because I stabbed you all before you could stab anybody else."

"Benjamin was loyal." I mutter.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of your own hypocrisy, Serah baby."

"Benjamin was loyal to this group! He loved you! He thought we were all friends! He wanted to do what was right!"

"And you lead him to his death, having him murder people for what you, too, felt was right. And all along you had no idea who you even were."

"You MURDERED HIM!"

"So? Why do you care? You yourself were willing and ready to expel him from the group on several occasions. You even drew your blade on him."

"I was wrong!"

"And that excuses it? Just because you suddenly admit an error doesn't mean it didn't happen. What's done is done. You chose to harm him long before I did."

"Maybe it doesn't excuse it, but I still didn't murder him! Intent is never so wrong as action!"

"Don't get all philosophical _now_. It's a little late, don't you think? You don't care about him. You never cared about any of us. I wonder if you even cared about the mission, if you were just in it for the kill."

"Quit reflecting this back on me! I know what I've done is wrong, do you?"

"Why do you care? Why do you care if I killed Benjamin? I'll tell you why: He didn't love you. He chose me, and not you. And the thought that someone in this world would choose to worship someone other than you drives you mad."

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

"I'm a Maenad. Killing men is what we do. What's your excuse? You killed Kain Highwind! Why? Because he chose Rosa instead of you!"

"That's-"

"You killed Cecil Harvey! Why? Because he served Cosmos instead of you, or your ideals."

"No, I-"

"And even _when_ men fall at your feet in worship, you slaughter them! Snow Villiers was your _husband_, was he not?"

"I-"

"You are a horror far greater than I, Serah. How _dare_ you patronize _me_! You killed Garland, weak, defenseless, and without even hope of understanding what he had done. And you didn't just _kill him_ you _raped_ him. You _dismembered_ him. You did not stop until there was _nothing_ left of him. And yet you have the audacity to say that I am evil, for saving Benjamin from you?"

"I didn't-"

"And who can forget the cries of pain that Raem gave out as you stabbed it repeatedly? Oh, sure, it represented a threat, but you still killed it. Do you hear those sounds, even now? Do they mingle with the cries of Firion and Terra, hopeless sacrifices to YOU and YOUR cult?"

"Stop-"

"NO. I am justice! I will not be denied! Remember it! Remember always the fact that YOU slew Shinryuu! A being so powerful and terrifying even CID LUFAINE feared Him. And here you are, something so powerful, so terrible, that even emissaries of The Void, like The Cloud of Darkness, ExDeath, and Enuo have bowed in awe before you. You are a MONSTER Serah Farron, not I! I have _never_ done anything so horrible and terrifying as you. I could not, even though I tried from now until the stars consume themselves and the Gods fade into nothingness, ever, ever hope to out-do your evil."

"Stop it."

"NO! You will listen, and you will HEAR what I say! For at long, long last you are getting what you deserve! How long? How long have people been fawning over you and breaking themselves to bits because of you and your actions? Your parents died because of you!"

"That's a lie!"

"Is it? Your birth changed their futures, and in that future they died! Your sister struggled to raise you, and even then, who's will was more important? Hers? Or yours?"

"What are you-"

"Think about it! Her birthday, and who was it that stole the show? YOU. Your marriage. And YOU were the one who had to be apologized to! Not HER. You, you, you! That's all that ever mattered, isn't it? Snow and Claire went through HELL because of you. Nora Estheim died BECAUSE OF YOU. So did everyone else who died in the purge! And all those who died when Orphan fell! You are the cause of all their deaths!"

"How do you-"

"And here in Heaven, how many have paid because of you? YOUR inability to forgive Kain because he chose someone other than you is what killed the relationship! No, let me correct that: Your inability to forgive Kain Highwind for a slip of the tongue KILLED him. And guess what? Because you COULDN'T GET OVER YOURSELF, you took Obsidian's mission, and here we are!"

"I-I-I didn't mean for-"

"You didn't mean for it to turn out this way? Don't make me laugh! How could you have expected anything more than this? You caused the death of Minerva, because She never would've been there to die, had you not confronted Bahamut! You cost Bahamut, because you challenged Cosmos! You killed The Phantom Village because you allowed for the Jail Break at the Prison At Sanity's Edge! Everyone the fiends killed since then is dead because YOU LET IT HAPPEN. My MOTHER is dead because You wanted vengeance on all of Heaven!"

"Cuore? Rydia is-"

"Don't you **DARE** offer me your pity or sympathy. Don't you **DARE** show remorse now. After all the killing, and all the murder, and all the hatred! NO. You are a MONSTER Serah Farron, do you hear me? A MONSTER. How was it for you? To kill your own image, even as it begged for mercy with your own voice? HOW DO YOU FEEL, BEING THE WORST THING EVER?"

"You want to know how it feels? I'll tell you. Just the way you told Benjamin!"

And with that I rush up the stairs toward Cuore, fury at last bathing me as the tears stream down my face. Even as the hatred surges to the top, some small part of me remembers Cuore as a member of the team. Some small part wishes things had been better between us, that we had been friends. This small part attempts to stop me, but it's too late.

Only after I'm to the hilt in Cuore do I realize the odd tendrils of light in the veins in her cheek, and wrapped around her throat. Her eyes become distant as she stares at me and says, "How . . . anti-climactic . . ." and then falls to the ground.

It isn't long before we hear someone clapping slowly, and from within the Holy Temple emerges Barthandelus, radiant and glorious. He's ascended? They'll give Godhood to anyone these days, I guess.

"A brilliant display of resolution," He says, voice dripping with pride as he walks into view. "You slowly pick off your friends to show just how mighty you truly are. Shall I assist?" Before I can say a word, Barthandelus' body emits a light that flies past my face and, as I turn, into Arazlam's chest.

Arazlam coughs, blood trickling from the wound and from his chest. He stretches out a hand and sputters, "Wh-what? H-how?"

"Miserable, detestable angel. I am a God. I have judged you fit for the purge. To HELL with you!"

Arazlam's body shudders and he falls to the ground. Shocked, anguished, and dismayed, I turn back and forth between the two, unsure of what to do. I make the call and rush to Arazlam's side. He's fading, but I prop him up long enough for him to get in his dying speech.

"I am . . . so sorry," He manages.

"Don't." I say, already feeling myself beginning to break down.

"No, no, child. Be at peace. Forgive this old man his evils. I . . . am the one who caused all this." He laughs ruefully, coughing in agony between bouts. It tears at me, just seeing him this way. "I . . . am Arazlam Durai . . . agent of Obsidian . . . I am also . . . the man who recruited you to this organization . . ."

I'd be shocked if this were any other moment, but in my panicked state, all I can say is, "That's crazy. Don't say stupid stuff like that Arazlam. C'mon, you're gonna make it, so please . . ."

"Oh, child . . . how much have I wronged you? I believed my mission was to protect you . . . as you fulfilled your own . . . I was told to keep you . . . strong of mind, and firm of body . . . to guide you toward victory . . . over Cosmos and Cid Lufaine . . . but they lied to me . . ."

"Who lied?"

"My mission was . . . a lie . . . I was not to protect you from manipulation . . . but to manipulate you . . . myself. I . . . was to change your goal from freeing . . . The Scholar . . . to slaying Cid Lufaine . . . and all of it . . . has come to pass . . . exactly . . . as planned . . ."

"No, c'mon Arazlam. COME ON! Don't DO THIS TO ME!"

"Be free . . . little one . . . and forgive this . . . your foolish tormentor . . ."

"Dammit NO! Arazlam! NO! Don't do this! I already lost Benjamin, and Cuore's gone now, too! Don't leave us, Arazlam! Come on, come on, come on!"

"Your words no longer reach him," Barthandelus says, the air filling with his smug laughter. "Where he is, words of kindness like yours hold no meaning."

"You." I growl, lowering Arazlam's body as it begins to burn.

"Yes! ME! I am the one who did this. Now please, cut me down."

"What do you even _want_ anyway!"

"Come down here and face us, you beast!" Gilgamesh adds, trying his best to keep his cool.

"What do I want? I want what Gogo wanted. I want what Arazlam himself wanted. I want what you want. I want what Chaos and Cosmos and even Cid Lufaine want. I am the servant who ties all together. All wish for freedom from this charade, and I want to grant them it."

"That's it, huh? Why don't you go find your stupid Void and fall in it?"

"The Void? No, that is far, far too simple. You aren't thinking; I expected more from you. None of this is real. The only thing real in all this expanse . . . _is you_."

"You know what? I don't care. I'm done with this bullshit. You killed my friends. You don't get to explain this to me anymore."

"Oh? Prove me wrong." Barthandelus raises a hand to the air, and a golden light surrounds him. The air itself is pushed away from him, and Gilgamesh is knocked off his feet. For a moment the force effects me, too, until I give it some actual thought.

_You can choose to be Omega_, echoes Gogo in my mind.

_I'm Gilgamesh. I don't have to follow the rules,_ comes another phrase.

Spurred onward, I point Omega toward Barthandelus and charge. He laughs madly, rambling on about realities and Absolute Virtue as I pass through his wall spell. His eyes widen in surprise as I close the distance. Damn, I wish I could see what he was seeing now, because I'm smiling like I've gone completely mad. Maybe I have. His face contorts in horror as he realizes, for the first time, just how little control he has over me.

Maybe he played a part in messing with my head. Maybe he manipulated Cuore from the beginning. Who the hell even cares anymore? I don't. But I don't deny for an instant that, as Omega rends through his flesh, the tips coming out his spine, and he cries out in real, true pain, I am very, very pleased. His body erupts in a flash of fire and lightning, and the blast engulfs me.

I don't care. And because I don't care, the damn thing doesn't touch me. Oh, yeah, this ought to worry me. It ought to be a sign that he was right, that possibly none of this is real. It doesn't, and it isn't. I've just realized what Omega is, and she has set me free.

Omega is the truth. All things begin with The Void, and all so end. Omega is The Void. And I am Omega.


	48. Chapter 48 Despair of Chaos

**OMEGA WEAPON**

"Lightning!" Gilgamesh shouts for the fifth time in recent memory. I don't break stride. I've been avoiding him most of all. I don't know what to say to him anymore. I don't know what to feel or even what to think. I'm just going to put a bullet through God's head and have done with reality. Despite this, he persists, and calls to me again.

"What?" I growl after I can't bear it anymore.

"Don't take that tone with me, kitten. I've come a long way with you, and I deserve more than your condescension."

"That so? Remind me again; WHY have you come all this way? Huh?"

"Really? You want to attack me, now? I don't think you remember who I am. I'm Gilgamesh. I don't take orders from you. I'm here because-"

"Because what? Why are we having this conversation? Where are we going? What are we doing here? We're off the rails, Gilgamesh, and suddenly nothing makes sense at all. Where's the motivation? There isn't one. None of this matters. It's all a lie, a dream, a fantasy. And I'm going to end it."

"Would you just _listen_ to me? Gods! You've become so obsessed with your own failures that you can't even think of anyone else, now, can you? What happened to the woman I met back at Romantic? You used to stand for something, Lightning."

"Did I? What the Hell did I ever stand for?"

"Freedom. You were the woman with the stomach to stand up to Cosmos when she was poised to burn Heaven to the ground. You were the woman who, pained or not, took down Raem, and, more to the point, you did what we all wish we could have done: You defeated Shinryuu. You stood for freedom, Lightning. No one owned you, and no one was your superior. Look at you now."

"I never stood for anything. And I can't say why you even care. Look around, Gilgamesh. Benjamin is dead. Arazlam is dead. Cuore is dead. Why don't you run, now, before you die, too?"

"You still don't see it, do you? The reason why I've come all this way? The thing that keeps me with you?"

"What, my ass? I've heard of guys go to great lengths to get some, but this is stretching it, don't you think? I. Am. Not. Interested. So quit following me, you perverted stalker."

"Really? Is that it? I've been to the tip of HELL with you, and now you're just going to sling out a childish insult as a way of getting rid of me? This isn't some kids' story. I'm not just another paper doll who'll fold before your perfect wit, unstoppable powers, and plot-induced-omni-holiness. You can't just tell me to go away now. I'm going to see this to its finish, and that's that."

"Fine, whatever. But don't complain to me if you don't LIKE it."

So we proceed. The air is likely tense between us, but Gilgamesh's attitude doesn't seem to state that. He continues onward, walking alongside me, his eyes still blind-folded, his smirk still plastered along his lips, body completely and absolutely calm.

I hate him. I want to kill him. Stupid bastard. He just STOOD there, and didn't do ANYTHING, when Benjamin died. Hell, he didn't do SHIT when Cuore was attacking us. Or Raem. Has he EVER helped me? He just stood by while Terra and Omega beat the shit out of me. All of them have. Gods, all of them have just relied on me the whole time, never once lifting their fingers in my defense.

I hate them. All of them. They've abandoned me. Cuore, Arazlam, Benjamin. Left me here alone. I hate them. Forgetting all about me, and just jumping off this immortal coil and going to wherever one who dies the second time goes when they die.

"I'm sorry," Gilgamesh whispers as we continue down the halls of the Temple.

"What?" I ask, barely thinking.

"You're under a lot of stress. I didn't mean to make things worse."

"Yeah, well, things suck right now. We just have to keep moving, I guess."

"A touching sentiment, I believe," someone says ahead of us.

At the end of the hall stands a great doorway leading in the direction of the Holy Throne. Along the sides of it are 5 spikes. 2 to the left, and 3 to the right. Impaled on each spike is the body of a God. A little closer to us than the spikes stands a man dressed in red and black. His skin is a pale white, and his eyes a deep red. In his arms he carries the body of a woman.

"Vincent Valentine," I say, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come to my party."

"Vincent's not here now," Valentine responds, "But you can leave a message; not that it'll do you any good. But you and I will chat in a moment, my dear. First, I want a word with your boy-toy."

"Gilgamesh?"

"Hello, Chaos."

"Now is the time, boy. Pay me your due."

Gilgamesh bows his head and, striding a few paces toward Chaos, pivots, and facing me, draws Excalibur. He sighs momentarily, then raises his head. And only then do I remember his statement of impending betrayal. And when I do, I realize just how broken my heart is, and just how much further its about to break.

"I'm sorry, Lightning."

"You, you BASTARD!"

"Oh yes, a bastard indeed! This kid's been in my pocket all along. Guess who really orchestrated the jail-break at the Prison at Sanity's Edge? Guess how I knew you were coming and was so utterly capable of smashing your little mind? I've had someone keeping tabs on you all along."

"I warned you. I tried to convince you not to come here."

"When you said you were going to betray me, I didn't think- I thought- I thought that you'd-"

"That he'd changed? That _love_ of _**you**_ had convinced him otherwise? How cute. For all your anger, loathing, and absolute rage at the mention of love, you still could not stamp it out of yourself. Let me make something perfectly clear about love today: _**LOVE DOES NOT EXIST.**_"

Gilgamesh tenses, preparing to strike, and then, just before he does, I shout, "WAIT!" This is enough to shock him into stopping, but I'm going to have to think fast if I'm going to get through this. Or am I? I could just cut Gilgamesh down, and keep going. Everyone else is gone, and no matter the cause, they'll all die when I succeed anyway, so why prolong?

"What is it?" Valentine snaps, causing me to pay attention again.

"What, no final request? You don't know how to treat a girl, do, you?"

"What final request?" Gilgamesh asks.

"Your eyes, let me see them."

"I'm sorry?"

"You've worn that scarf over your eyes the whole time I've known you. Let me see your eyes, just once."

Gilgamesh cocks his head toward Valentine, who grunts his permission. With his free hand, he reaches for the scarf, and pulls it down from his face, head still facing Valentine. His eyes widen momentarily, then, slowly, he turns to face him.

And Gods, how can I put this? He is . . . beautiful. His eyes are a piercing shade of green. Vibrant and shining like the grass in the sun. They're brilliant, like the fields on the Archelyte Steppe at noon. I could melt in them. They're so captivating, I don't notice Gilgamesh charging me until Excalibur has pierced my breast.

Is it the heat of the moment, that prevents me from feeling pain, or something more? In Gilgamesh's arms, one final embrace, I feel as though all care could from me fade. I feel safe, secure as he kisses me, and then whispers in my ear, "I'm borrowing this, okay?" and wrests Omega from my unresisting hands.

When he releases me, I feel as though every inch of my flesh is crying out for him. Excalibur draws no blood as he unsheathes it from me. I feel no weaker, no more harmed, but sink to my knees none the less. Gilgamesh, meanwhile, turns on Valentine.

"You knew, then?" He asks, turning both swords on the vampire.

"From the beginning. A clever ploy, hers. I suppose I won't be needing her anymore." With that, Valentine drops the woman's body to the floor. "Still with us, Farron? Let's have a bit of, how did his father put it? Expository banter."

Valentine vanishes in a cloud of smoke, then appears before me, grabbing my throat and hoisting me from the floor. Gilgamesh attempts to aid me, but Valentine hurls him back with a thunder spell. He turns back to me, and, looking me in the eye, says, "Laughable. Every last member of your party was a traitor and a liar, and yet you hoped to challenge The Gods. Allow me to illustrate."

He tosses me aside, then before I hit the floor, lands a kick that sends me spinning. "Cuore was a pawn in the hands of Cosmos. She began loyal to her, working as an assassin, offing those in Heaven that The Lady deemed . . . troublesome. She was ordered by Barthandelus to keep tabs on you. Barthandelus was in my employ, masquerading as a penitent working for Cosmos. I doubt She believed it, but Sarah has been . . . _different_ as of late.

"Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Durai, Arazlam. He was a pawn for the organization of Cids known as 'Obsidian' a Black Crystal into which no one can see. Pathetic. The Liar made only too clear to me what Durai's purpose was in their group: to keep you from cracking. Presumably until the end of the mission. Now tell me, how far _did_ you make it?

"No, no need to say. I'm really not that interested, actually. Let's talk about Benjamin, shall we? Your oh-so loyal pet? Did you know he was taking orders from without, too? Oh, yes. You caught a glimpse when he mentioned having to fulfill a favor for Cid Orlandeau. But don't you find that odd? Orlandeau was working with someone . . . but who?

"Cosmos, perhaps? Cid Lufaine? Me? Shinryuu? Who? Oh, you don't know the _half_ of the players in this game. So few to your tiny little mind. And yet I sense you've expanded your understanding since Bahamut, haven't you? So who? Who was pulling Benjamin's strings? Let me give you a hint: What looks like Excalibur, but doesn't sting half as much?

"Oh, good, you've already guessed. Now tell me . . . who would want to ensure that your little friend over there was completely without means to defend you in the impending . . . _Chaos_? Still don't know? Oh, then I won't spoil it for you. After all, we still haven't touched on the biggest and best of our betrayals for the day!"

Valentine disappears again, only to reappear behind Gilgamesh, disarming him and knocking him to the ground with a ferocity I hadn't expected. Gilgamesh makes a grab for Omega again, but the man in red doesn't allow it, stepping down on Gilgamesh's hand with a terrible _crack_. He laughs as Gilgamesh howls in pain.

"Who are you, little boy? Who are you!"

"I. Am. Gilgamesh."

"Oh, are you? Don't **lie** to me, boy! I know you are not Gilgamesh! Now, WHO. ARE. **YOU?**"

"I am Gilgamesh, son of _the_ Gilgamesh."

"That's better! Now tell me, who's the little whore on the ground by you? No, DON'T move toward her. Just tell me, who is she?"

"She is. My daughter. Adopted. As I am the adopted son of Gilgamesh."

"And the arms?"

"Adoption is a wondrous thing, isn't it?"

"So the story about your son being imprisoned?"

"A lie."

"Funny, boy, as I'd pegged you for the sort who didn't LIKE lies, am I wrong?"

"No."

"Did you hear that, Omega? The very man who declared his hatred of dishonesty to you, in the same breath lied! What do you think of that?"

"Gilgamesh, why didn't you-"

"No! No one gets to explain, and no one gets to understand! That's the point I'm trying to make! If I let you know why, the relationship begins to repair, and you don't learn why love is a lie! But we've been talking for much too much time. How about we take an intermission for a little pain, huh?"

Before I can act, Chaos is upon me, punching my face repeatedly, beating it inward. I feel blood running down my face only momentarily, then he launches me across the room. Before my body hits the floor, though, he's got hold of my hair, and the stop is enough to break several of my bones. He slams me down into the floor, then pounces on my ribcage with his full weight.

Coughing up blood, I try to grab his ankles, only for the slick bastard to flip himself over, grab my wrists, and force my arms to the ground. He's lying atop me now, his cold, dead face almost touching my own. His eyes are empty. No malice, no hatred, no anger therein. Only . . . power.

"Let me tell you a story, hmm? Once upon a time there was a man named Garland. He was the greatest knight in all of Corneria, the premier nation in all the world of Joia. He had an excellent protégé, and had caught the eye of the Princess of the nation. Her music, played on her lute, had enchanted him, and encouraged him to confess to her. She said she loved him, and accepted his proposal of marriage. But it was not to be. The King, seeking to ally himself with a rival house and unify his nation before the next war with the Elvaan, had betrothed her to a nobleman instead.

"So they eloped. They made it perhaps as far as the ancient Temple of The Gods when the King's men arrived. There were four, or maybe six of them. The main group consisted of a Thief from the Elvaan kingdom, a Black Mage hailing from the distant Melmond, a Red Mage of Pravokan birth, and his own protégé, whose origins are long since forgotten. They were accompanied by a Monk from the land of Gaia, and a White Mage of Lufenian ancestry.

"The pursuers, lead by the Warrior, would not listen to reason. Garland, believing Sarah and her love, fought to protect their union. Before such numbers though, not even Garland, for all his prowess, could hope to stand. He died in the Temple, believing himself in the right.

"He found himself in a strange world, and there encountered a being of intense misery. Chaos, He was called. Garland hadn't the slightest inkling as to Chaos' identity, their relation, nor of the fact that Chaos had once stood in the splendor of The Crystal World's Eternal sphere.

"To make a long story short, Garland and Chaos incensed one another, and their newly kindled rage became the link which bound their destinies forever after. Chaos warred a foe Garland never met. One called Cosmos. When they did meet, things would never be the same.

"But that's later on in the story. Garland found his way free from the place, and allowed his rage, coupled with Chaos' power, to initiate a paradox which would collapse time itself. He figured that, if he couldn't be with Sarah, he'd at least spend eternity dying by her feet, then killing the ones who'd taken her from him.

"But when those warriors at last arrived, and Garland gave himself to Chaos fully, he found out the awful truth: Cosmos was Sarah. And Cosmos was Mio- at least, a replication of her. And Mio, Cosmos, Sarah, whoever She was, She had given the warriors her lute. Crushed by this betrayal, Garland died, and became one with Chaos forevermore.

"And so I spent the rest of eternity, slaughtering innocents in and out of time and life, because of the _**love**_ of one woman. Betrayal of this sort is exactly what drew me to this host, Valentine, as well. Love does not exist. Garland thought he and Sarah were in love, but she gave the symbol of their love to the man who would kill him. Vincent thought that his woman loved him, but she betrayed him, and of that treachery was born one Sephiroth. Chaos believed that he and Cosmos loved one another.

" And rightly they should have. For she was the image of his mother. He was the 'child' of Dr. Cid, and She a product of his research. They were companions in war and battle. Though they fought constantly, the battles only ever brought them closer. They forced the wars upon the dead in the hope of coming nearer. And still She chose another over Him.

"Are we Gods? Or are we manikins? See yourself the inconsistencies in the origins of Cosmos and I. Every scrap of this fabrication is beginning to melt away, and the truth is slowly worming itself back in. Because in the end, love is a lie. Love did not save Giruvegan. Love did not spare Phantom Village. Love did not save Benjamin, Cuore, or Arazlam. Love has not saved this woman, nor did it save The Dawn Warriors here posted on the wall.

"And the Love of God, God of the Gods of Gods, cannot decide if it will save reality, or His son."

"Things . . . would be better . . . if I ended everything." I manage, more drained than anything else.

"No." Chaos answers. "No they would not. Oblivion is too simple, too clean. It's too much of a reward for this world. No, what Heaven, Hell, and everything else requires is endless chaos. Suffering interrupted by mere illusions of hope, to make the torture that much more. For this world deserves nothing more than what it has given: Absolute agony."

"Then give it," I respond. "For I will only deliver absence. If you want endless pain, do it yourself. I don't want this anymore."

"You think it's that _**EASY?**_ Here's an eye-opener for you: It isn't. Harm must begin with you. You, who bear Proof of Omega. When you are gone, then the door to pain can be opened. So let me show you _Utter Chaos!_"

Chaos steps back, his body glowing as He prepares to cast aside the façade of Vincent Valentine. A moment later, however, he begins to shudder and flash, growling in surprise. His face, tearing beneath the force of some unseen pressure, still conveys a sense of anger mingled with absolute surprise.

**HOW?** He roars, shaking with greater speed. His eyes open with realization and He shouts, **YOU! YOU DID THIS? Y-YOU KILLED M-ME?**

"Oh, yeah. So I did."

**AND SHINRYUU?**

"Him too, I guess."

**GODS . . . HAVE MERCY! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE! WHO ARE YOU? HAVE MERCY!**

"No. No mercy."

**DAMN YOU! NOW **no one **WILL EVER BE FREE! THE CYCLE IS FINAL, AND WITH IT ALL THINGS WILL END! YOU **fool**! tHeRe **Is **So **MuCh **Y**o**U **d**O**n'**T** **COMPREHEND!**

At this Chaos bursts in a flare of angry energy, screams of the damned, and fire so hot it should burn my face off, or at the least my clothes. It fills the hall, and runs out the steps of the Temple. It grows so bright that I'm unable to see. Or is it so dark? Can fire even BE dark? It WOULD be Chaotic, though.

When at last my vision returns, I find the room occupied by only myself and Gilgamesh. He gets to his feet and rushes to my side, stammering as he does.

"Light- I- I-,"

"You lied to me."

"I know."

"You were going to betray me."

"For my _daughter_, Lightning." He answers, sounding suddenly much less apologetic.

"We're done now, Gilgamesh. Or whoever you are. Go away. For all I care, you can end up like these five on the spikes here. Just don't follow me anymore. I never, ever, want to see you again."

"Lightning, I- you don't even know who those men are, do you?"

"No. But why bother? You're as dead to me as they are, and soon, all Heaven will be this way, too."

"Nothing phases you anymore, huh? They're Final Heaven, Lightning. They're the Warriors of Dawn."

"All the better. No sun shall ever rise again in Heaven. Not after today. Good-bye Gilgamesh."

"You stupid fool!" He shouts, sinking to his knees, tears in his eyes. "You don't even know why I've come this far."

"I don't care, either." I answer, as I pass through the doorway.

Once I've passed it, I hear him say, "Because I loved you," then collapse in tears. I'm too broken to care anymore. The romance has died. As has the hatred. I wish he'd run, but why prolong the inevitable? I'm going to put down the God of Gods of Gods, and turn this dull ache of mine off, once and for all. If Omega couldn't cleanse me of pain, then perhaps Cid Lufaine will.


	49. Chapter 49 Cid Lufaine

**OMEGA WEAPON**

I pass through silent halls, lit only by the pods on either side. The pods contain the combatants for the next, and final, War of the Gods. I see faces floating in the glow that should hurt me, but no longer do. Terra Branford, Firion, Cecil Harvey, Kain Highwind . . . and then I stop before one that causes my heart to leap to my throat.

Her face . . . is so familiar. She looks like someone I used to know. I put a hand to the glass casing, and run it slowly along the side. I want to open the pod, tear her out, wake her up, and ask her her name. I don't, though. Instead, I back away from the pod slowly, then force myself out of the hallway.

I come into a large foyer full of golden statues. The walls are painted with visions of the feats of The Gods, and a history of Eternity. Something about seeing all of Eternity painted before my eyes bothers me, and forces me to avert my gaze. The room has many a couch, situated before tables, presumably for those seeking an audience with these highest of Gods.

Passing this room I enter the chamber of the High Council. I have only ever been as far as the Council of Cids, held in the assembly hall. This chamber, dedicated to the Choir of Elohim, is much, much smaller. Amazingly so, in fact. There are no more than fifteen chairs in the entire chamber. Fifteen Elohim. That means no more than fourteen Gods of the highest order, with one God above them all.

Beyond this room is a final hallway. It is darker than I had expected. So dark, in fact, that, initially, I'm incapable of seeing at all. As I proceed, finding odd the absolute lack of resistance, my path is lighted by crystals that burst to light as I pass them. And, at the end of the hallway, a large, golden door.

Forcing the door open, I find a room so spacious I'm forced to wonder if it isn't the size of Heaven itself. Perhaps, though, my eyes are deceiving me. The room is lit on the sides by crystals a great distance away. Before me is an impossibly tall staircase. Wasting no time, I begin to ascend, and find myself doing so for much more time than I had originally anticipated.

After what seems an eternity of ascent, I find myself atop a plateau, and at the other end is throne of God. And there He is, face obscured by a white and red-trimmed hood extending from his similarly decorated robe.

My breath becomes quicker, and I can feel my excitement rising within me, blood crashing through my veins. This is it. The moment for which I have waited far too long. The presence of God the Highest. Cid Lufaine, The God of The Gods of Gods. All I have to do is break the rules the way I did with Barthandelus, and then everything will be at peace.

I draw nearer, and He makes no motion. My paces are slow, and my soul relishes every moment of this. The fact that I enjoy it, even remotely, slows me all the more. At last the opposition has failed, and I, Omega, will do that for which I was created. I will make right this error they call Creation. I will take all things back to the Zero world, to The Void. And when it is all over, I will end myself, and be at peace. The dull and numb ache that has antagonized me for too long will fade, like existence, into the warm and welcome womb of oblivion.

Only five paces from Him, and I pause. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong. For starters, He's smaller than I expected. Not much, but it's enough to make me question my memories. When last I saw Him, at the Council of Cids, was He so small? And now, why isn't He even addressing me? Has he not noticed me at all? Am I undetected still, so close to the wielder of Absolute Virtue?

And then He stands, rising slowly from His throne. His face remains obscured, and His voice comes strangely to my ears. And when He finishes speaking, a horror beyond my comprehension fills my heart. One that robs me of my strength and determination in a way I never believed possible before. A horror unlike any the whole of Hell could ever deliver.

These were the words He spoke: "I have been waiting for you, young woman. I had not believed, initially, that you would make it this far. I had not believed that you were this conceited. I had not believed that any one person could be so capable of such destruction. And yet here you are. Even Omega Weapon and Shinryuu have fallen before you. You have slaughtered hordes and felled The Mighty to get this far. I have lost to the wit of The Scholar. You are, indeed, the greatest of all monsters, kupo."

Kupo. _KUPO.__** KUPO.**_ I don't want to believe it. I don't want to acknowledge it, but as He lowers the hood of the robe and His pom-pom flops into view, followed thereafter by the pointed ears and furry, white head, I can deny it no longer. Cid Lufaine, The God of The Gods of Gods, the King of Heaven, the Supreme Being, the Great Will, is . . . a moogle.

I recoil in surprise, his absolutely adorable form delivering such a shock that, for a moment, I feel as though I understand everything, and am free of Omega's cloud. Then, as the initial shock fades away, abandoning me to horror complete, I succumb again to the claws of destruction.

"Are you surprised, kupo? That I, Cid Lufaine, the man you have hated and loathed, and fantasized about destroying for so long, am nothing more than a moogle? Prepare whatever remains of your mind, then, for you will soon learn greater things."

"Not if I can help it," I say, raising Omega and striking with all the speed and force I have.

"Lesson one," Cid says, deflecting Omega with a tiny arm and sending it flying back to the top of the stairs, "You cannot defeat me. Not with Omega, not with anything. You have been taught that you have the power to break the rules. You don't have any power. Not anymore.

"Tell me, when did Omega gain the power to break the rules? When you gained Proof of Omega? And how did you gain that? How did you even know you needed to do it? I'll tell you how: Shinryuu. And when you slew Him, there were no longer rules. Shinryuu held this world in place, and without Him, there are no more rules.

"Now let me tell you something else: There are no do-overs. The fourteenth cycle isn't one more in a series anymore. No, it's now the only hope. The only escape. And sadly, the only ones spared are the participants. Your actions have saved the likes of Kefka, and doomed innocents like Snow Villiers."

"What, no kupo?" I ask, trying to hide my surprise. Omega, I need Omega. But if I make a break for it, what else will he do? I dunno. Gotta try. So I turn and run toward Omega, only to find, well, that I can neither turn, nor run.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I did not explain to you, child. **I AM GOD.** You don't move anymore until I say so. Oh, you will reach Omega, and you will perhaps strike me down, but not until you understand more fully what is happening here. So please, be patient while I explain to you.

"I am Cidian Lief. Known more commonly as Cid Lufaine, because, well, I hail from Lufenia, am of the Lufaine people, and the Liefenish clan. I was a scientist, long before a God. When I was, my inventions originally helped people. I discovered flight. Medicine. I even won acclaim for my studies upon the properties of crystals containing spells. Spells which were sold in shops forever after. Can you imagine? I am the man who made spells for healing the sick open to any man with enough gil. I believed I had saved the world.

"Until, of course, my world gave itself to war. Matoya of Onrac summoned Omega, a being from beyond even Eternity, and encapsulated it in a machine. That was her great sin in that war. I, I designed airships for war, and, thinking to cut down on casualties, War Machines to combat the Summoners. War Machines not unlike the one which became Omega's body. This sin of mine, too, has echoed across Eternity, causing monstrosities like Vegnagun and the Giant of Bab-il. But one sin greater still did I cause.

"His name was Garland, because he would bring us victory. He looked . . . like me. But his powers enveloped him, and, as a child touched by Chaos, became a monster quickly. In the end, Chaos, Cosmos, and I found our way out of Time's flow. Without reality, removed from what I have since deemed 'World A' and into a place called 'World B.'

"There I met Shinryu and made with him a deal. I made this deal, you see, because I did not know that Chaos and Cosmos had, like me, been brought to World B. The deal was to get me back my boy, and for the two of us to escape back to World A. Shinryu consented, provided I give up my body. And so I did.

"As we made our deal, we stumbled upon a place where said body could be stored. A place I have since called 'World C.' World C is where you now stand. A realm of absolute safety, or so we believed. As Shinryu and I scoured World B for Chaos and for a way out, we occasionally came back to check in. One day, we discovered that my body had spawned a reality around it. A place wherein we discovered my son, as well as Cosmos. My body had dreamt of all that truly was in World A, Shinryu informed me, and though I wished then and there to be free, He called in his part of my debt.

"And so, the things which you have heard described to you came to pass. The things Alfador has said, and Bahamut. But if all these things are true or not, not even I can rightly say any longer. For Shinryu and I fell out with one another. And as we did, I began to lose my grip on this world, this World D that is without this room. That strange and awkward reflection of what is true. I wonder if it is because my body awakens?

"No, I fear it is rather that I have ceased to care for this, and all other worlds Shinryu entrusted to my care. I can't sort out lies and truth anymore. And since my will is now the single tie that holds reality together, well, you can imagine what that means."

I try and see into Him, to read something from the body of this moogle, to see something in His eyes, but to no avail. He is distant in a way I can't describe. It's almost as though He were in a whole . . . other . . . world . . .

"Why?" I ask. "Why are you suddenly so frail in holding this world together?"

_**WHY?**_ "I'll tell you why. In one day, I lost everything that mattered to me. I lost my wife, I lost my child, and in the end, I lost myself. What remained of me was rage, trapped in the body of a moogle, compounded with all the might and force to bend the universe over and ravish it, if I so desired. But not a single. Ounce. To. Save. Them. I could never bring them back. For all my power and glory, for all that I had transcended Gods and stood aside Shinryu, the more I realized how utterly powerless I was.

"And then, at last, I had a glimmer of hope. Here, in this 'World D.' I believed I could bring back my wife and my child from the dream, and with them, escape. Cosmos and Chaos served as the link back to World B, and for a moment, I allowed myself to believe that all reality, all eternity, all that I had made, would at last come to fruition.

"And then, something went wrong, as something always does. For you see, I myself can no longer tell you what in World D is and is not a part of the dream. No, no, I worry that there are things down there which aren't, but I can't tell. After all, the dream is a reflection of reality. And though my rage was once The Great Will that guided Heaven, tempered only by Shinryu's insatiable hunger, I discovered that something within the dream had grown stronger still. Something within the dream had . . . begun to understand, and, with that understanding, sought to deny me both my slumber and my wake.

"And that force, that being, he sent you. And you have denied me of any hope I once had. You, child, have taken from me what chance I still had. YOU have robbed me of my love! You slew my son! You slew Garland! And when you did so, you sealed the fate of all. So you ask me, you impudent, selfish, conceited, destructive, terrifying, nightmarish, abominable, _horror_; you ask **me** why **I** have lost my grip on reality? Why I am so frail? Let me TELL you why!"

Cid Lufaine, positively glowing with fury, backhands me with one of his tiny paws, knocking me to the floor, and, in fact, denting it. His miniature body seems to tower over me, and, quite suddenly, I feel very small.

"I am tired," I he half sighs, half growls, "I am so very tired. All I wanted was to have a family and live quietly in my nation. I got more than I could have ever hoped in my beautiful wife, and my ego consumed me when my genius caught the eye of the Lufaine. I did not want that war, but from it came my son, made in my likeness.

"Ironic, isn't it? When I arrived here, I discovered that You were made to counter Shinryu, and that I, a mere man, had made Garland to counter You. And then You, Omega, came along and consumed my son . . . why? At the behest of a man who believes all reality to be a farce. Well, it turns out he's right: everything is a lie. A Fantasy. Oh, and, 'kupo.'"

And then the rage in me pours out. "That's your excuse? That's all you've got to say? 'I let Heaven run to Hell because all of it is a lie and boo-hoo, pity me, I lost everything!'? Well, let ME tell YOU something. Oh, yes, I'm rather fucking SICK of all this exposition, and it's time you people listened to ME for a change!

"World 'D'? I don't care if this is fucking World _Z_! Fantasy? I could not care less! Your dream? Deal with Shinryu? I stopped caring about that twenty chapters back, sir, and I REALLY am not about to change now. DO you even KNOW what a shitty world it's like out there? Do you even KNOW what your apathy has caused? I bet you don't.

"You can come up with whatever stupid story you want to, about variant dimensions and the fates thereof as some sort of means of assuaging your own guilt about all you've let happen, you can let yourself believe none of what happens in Heaven and Hell is real, and you can blame me for it all, but let me tell you: _It's real enough to me!_

"That world out there is the only one I know, and it sure as Hell has FELT real to me. It was real enough that Benjamin died protecting it. It was real enough that it drove Cuore mad. It was real enough that Arazlam did everything he could to maintain it. It was real enough that Gilgamesh felt pain in it. Those people who died outside this temple, and the ones outside the city walls, it was real to them!

"So you go right ahead and say 'it's all a lie' if you want. But the fact is, that world out there, dream or not, is real to everyone in it, whether or not they're real. So false or not, you can't just talk your guilt away. Do you know why I killed Garland? Because of _you._ You and Shinryu started the Cycle of War, whatever your intentions, and it produced Chaos and Cosmos. Because of the things they got away with _on your watch_ The Scholar formed Obsidian, and from that organization, however twisted, I came.

"And now, I don't really care for your explanation of the origin of all this madness anymore than the ones I've heard anymore. It's not like I don't expect Gods to lie, and moving even beyond that, it's not like I EVEN CARE. You let that world decay and rot, and I'm here to give you what you deserve for it. Because Fantasy or not, the pain I felt in that world- that's real enough to me."

Roaring, I break free of His power, and charge the furry little punk. As I rush forward, though, He raises a paw, and I'm thrown from the floor, into the air, and across the platform. His laughter echoes in the eternal space. It sounds like a lot of "kupo", but there's more to it. It really is tired . . . sad, and even weak.

Suddenly my body is jerked back into the air and my limbs are bound behind me. The fuzzy God-King floats up to my face, and his adorable face frowns in contempt. He slaps me with His paw, nearly breaking my jaw. I cough, blood trickling down my lips, and turn back toward Him.

"I have all power, save it be to save myself. You came to end the world, and end it shall. But it will end by MY hand, and not yours! You were a fool for challenging God! How could a gnat like you ever hope to stand against me?" He slams His paws together, and suddenly I feel my spine hit from either side, and breaking in twine.

"Does it hurt? Does it? That, Omega, that is the pain you have dealt to my soul!"

"Oh is it? Then let me show you the pain in _**MINE!**_" Trying to find strength, and make my body work, I flail one arm forward, and grab a hold of Cid's pom-pom. Now, I don't know much about moogle physiology, but, judging by the howls he's making now, I'd say it hurts like hell to have your pom-pom ripped off. And _**DAMN**_, who knew it'd bleed like that?

"H-how? You're not meant to be able to resist me! I AM GOD! You can't hurt me!"

"Oh yeah? Well I'm Omega. The End." My other arm breaks free of His will and the two find their place around His throat, causing the two of us to fall to the floor. He rolls on top of me, and with His paw, begins to claw at my face. Shrieking in pain, I roll us back over, and keep trying to constrict the air way of the God-King. Which is about the time I wonder whether moogles, or, more to the point, God-Moogles need to breathe.

"Is this all you've got?" Cid asks, knocking me off of Him, and driving one of His feet into my stomach before I can get up. "I'm disappointed. You're supposed to be Omega. But that, too, is just a part of The Fantasy. Here, closer to reality, you're weaker. Because the lies from which you're made are fading.

"Don't you see? Destroying me destroys you. The weaker I become, the weaker you become. And when I'm gone, everything goes with me. That is why you cannot destroy me. For I am stronger than you. You will be faded long before I am. And, kupo, when I have awoken from my dream, all memory of you and your alleged suffering will be gone."

"That doesn't make it right!" I respond, twisting His ankle, and rolling out from under Him. Getting back to my feet, I notice Omega nearby, and make a dash for it. Before I can reach it, though, the ground beneath my feet hurls me upward, only for a sudden burst of flame to knock me off the rising pillar. The flames, oddly enough, freeze me, rather than burn. My body covered in ice, I plummet toward the ground, waiting to shatter into pieces. Before this happens, though, Cid Lufaine appears beside me, and hurls me to the side, where a flare-trap appears to thaw and burn me.

"Does it have to make it right?" He asks. "Does it matter anyway? I am God. I decide what is right, and what is wrong. You removed Shinryu from Worlds D and C. Down this far, He has no hold. Down here I am unchecked. If I willed it, your bones would make themselves of fire, and your body would collapse in the most horrific way.

"Now come! Fight me! Is this not what you have dreamed of for so long? Every inch of your journey you have fantasized about the moment you would destroy me, and end reality! You have abandoned your desire to 'Free the Scholar' and depose Cosmos, and given yourself to this. So rise up, and fight me!"

Goaded by His words, I get to my feet, and run at Him again. What have I got to lose? His arrogant apathy and neglect have cost me any happiness I might have had in death. How frustrating, to hear the man responsible for all the suffering and corruption out there to claim it all a dream! Maybe I've crossed my Event Horizon, and become something truly evil, but no one, knowing the truth, could ever doubt me for my anger toward this man at this moment.

My fist connects with His nose, and He's sent spinning backward, only to stop mid-air, turn, and spin in my direction. The Dervish Moogle flies into me, and, once more demonstrating surprising strength for one as soft and cuddly as He, slams me into His throne. As the throne crumbles atop me, I grab a piece of it, and fling it in His face.

The God-King growls as though He were some manner of animal, and begins to glow. He takes off with a speed that makes it hard to follow Him with the naked eye. A sharp pain to the back of my neck confirms this speed, and many such blows over the rest of my body in the following minutes only cements this truth in a way no regular expression could ever hope to.

But I am Omega, not just some puff of dream woven into a shiny form. I am The End. I don't follow Cid Lufaine's rules. My font of power is not His, and I will not be undone by this Would-Be-God at this or any other juncture. So when His puny little paw comes to clip at my stomach, I cross my arms behind His back, grab, and PULL.

Cid shrieks in fury and agony as I tear His wings from His back, sending blood bursting into the air behind Him. He opens His mouth and bits on my shoulder with all the force He can, His teeth burying themselves in my flesh.

I try and beat Him off of me with His own wings, but to no avail. DAMN it hurts! DAMN DAMN DAMN! After a few minutes of struggle I pull Him off, but not before He takes a chunk of me with Him.

"Impressive, Kupo." He says, spitting my flesh out of His mouth. "I have noticed you are regenerating with great strength. They say Omega 's wounds cannot be healed, but I'm afraid that that, too, was a lie."

A blue light cascades down His body, doing so much more than heal. His tiny limbs fill with muscle, and the wings that sprout are considerably more lethal. The pom-pom that bursts from His head is blazing with the intensity of a star. At last His tiny moogle eyes open wide, and in them I see only hatred. A loathing so tangible it surges across the platform, closes the space between us, and knocks me to floor again.

Cid Lufaine is on top of me again, but only long enough to cast a Gravija spell that begins to crush every bone in my body. Feeling the wind pushed out of my lungs, I make an attempt to counter, and to my surprise, it's successful. The spell launches off of me, and flies in His direction. The High One, not expecting this, is blindsided by His spell.

It seems to enrage Him further, however, and an aura of flame encircles the God of Gods of Gods. Cid's robe burns away, leaving only His chubby moogle body for a moment.

"Congratulations, Omega. You've drawn this battle out for quite some time, and I must say, I never expected you to survive the warm up this long. But you must know, I'm waking up now. And when we awaken, the dreams fade, and the darkness is replaced with light. Our lifeless muscles gain force, and our addled minds acuity! Now, nightmare, you have haunted my slumber for far too long! Let us end this, once and for all!"

The star-light darkness that has surrounded this room for so long erupts into flames, cracking along the middle, and bursting at the sides. The starry crystals become larger, and glow with angry pride. Cid pauses me mid-charge, and raises my body into the air, splaying my arms and legs outward this time.

"Tell me, Omega, to whom do you pray? Who is your God? Who is the being mightier still than you or I? You pray to me, that is who. And none is mightier than I. I, Cid Lufaine. There is no almighty creator. There is no God, save it be I, and I alone. All things began in you, Omega, in The Void. All things shall return to you, to The Void. But not me. I will resist you forever. Do you know why?

"Because you are a lie. A dream. A falsehood. So pathetic that Garland crushed you at his nadir. How much more, then, shall I, being God, destroy you now?"

"Big words, Cid. But I'd like to point out how, for all your boasting, I'm still here. If you really are so powerful, prove it. Put me down, once and for all!"

"Oh? I like your challenge. But I'm not an idiot. So, good-bye."

Cid flicks His paw downward, and my body plummets. Before I hit the ground, though, Omega's blade pierces my heart, the tip shining in the newly lit firescape. I choke a moment, then feel Cid sling an Ultima spell at me, burning with an intensity that seems to sear me both within and without. When it's done, He launches every, damn spell in the book. Fire, Fira, Firaga. Blizzard. Blizzara, Blizzaga. Toad, Pig, Mini. Blind, Mute, Poison, Bio, Bioga, Gravija, Harm, Holy, Flare, Meteor, Meltdown, Gigaflare. Imp, Osmose, Rasp, Drain. Again and again.

For an hour this continues, Cid devising newer and greater means to make me suffer, until at last He seems to tire of it, and drops me to the floor. His paw grasps my hair and pulls my head from the ground to look at Him.

"Do you see, now? I am mightier than you will ever be. Your continued existence is only a means by which I express the anguish you caused me for the death of my son. But now, we have come to the end. Farewell, Omega. Your rampage across the worlds will end here, and should I ever make my way home, they'll hail me as a hero. That is, just moments before I exact my revenge upon them all.

"But while we're on the subject of your continued existence, note this: Is it not a proof of the dream? You are pierced with Omega, yet still you squirm here before me, clinging to your life. Wasn't that sword meant to kill me? How will it, if it can't even kill _you?_"

"Simple," I manage, "I am more than you."

"Oh? Prove it."

Prove it? Gladly. I've had fun, listening to your rambling lies about the world being a dream, Cid, but now things are about to change. You see, I've just gotten my second wind, my broken limit, my over-drive. Hope you've enjoyed it, because now I'm going to launch my desperation attack.


	50. Chapter 50 Esunaja

**OMEGA WEAPON**

Cid Lufaine stands above me, His miniature form feeling more and more like a tower as time passes. But that's all about to change. Now I get to launch my assault. And when I'm done with Him, well, I don't really care what happens next. Not anymore.

The High Cid makes His move, sending a wall of flaming ice in my direction. I sit up, put a hand to the hilt protruding from my spine, and pull. The pain is . . . breathtaking . . . as the blade catches on my rib cage, making me cough blood. If pulling won't work, then there's only one other option, isn't there?

The flaming ice envelopes me as I push the blade through my chest, rending a hole in my sternum. Blood erupts into the air as the blade pushes far enough for me to put my hands around it, and yank the damn thing the rest of the way out. The scene must look gruesome to the observer. My growls, guttural and raw, climax as I lay hands to the hilt of Omega.

Dripping, oozing, the saber's length raises to the air. The flaming ice vanishes like the innuendo, and Cid Lufaine returns to my view. The Lord Moogle smirks, then bows. As He does, the air erupts with lances made from acid, all of which fly in my direction, but it's too late.

My sword turns all ways, deflecting every last impossible attack, spraying the air with the acid's vapor. Cid rushes through it, laying black holes about as He goes. He comes too near, though, and at last I manage to stick the bastard with my sword.

He stops a moment, caught on the blade, seeming surprised. Then He backs Himself off of it, leaving no blood behind. Only then do I really understand just how bad this situation really is.

"Don't blame yourself," He says, "Anyone would've figured the same. But the fact is, even if you CAN break the rules, I can also write them anew. Right now the rules say swords can't hurt me. Oh, and while we're on the subject of rules that can't be changed, the rules say I can't stop being a Moogle. But that's all they say."

Then there were two Cids. Then fourty. Then eight hundred. All of them different sizes, ranging from nearly microscopic, to the positively gigantic. And each of them acting as one, wanting me dead. I have about a second to breath before a flurry of white, furry fury flies my way. But if Cid Lufaine thinks this little trick's all He needs to win, He's got another thing coming.

To say the battle is frantic is an understatement. I haven't time to even think at first, just acclimate myself to the frenzy of dodging Cids and spells and strikes. I have to hand it to the God-King, He's really putting effort into this bit, but effort alone isn't going to stop me, not even when backed by all the power in the world.

And sadly for Cid, I can do this trick, too. Remembering my earlier battles, I compress myself for a moment, then burst into multiples, initiating the Silhouette Slice. To describe the situation after this becomes . . . difficult. I see what all of me see, and I feel what all of me feel. So when one of me is obliterated by a Cid, I feel her pain. I can only hope He feels it whenever I manage to mangle one of His mangy forms, too.

The air is alight with His magic and my blades, His glory and my terror, His loathing and my rage, His sorrow and my anger. One of us alone will survive this battle, and to the victor will go the spoils- the rights to rewrite reality. Do I really want such a burden? No, not really. I think, when I hold Absolute Virtue in my hands, I'll smash it to pieces.

This belief fuels my wrath, and intensifies my assault. Cid's selves are put on the defensive, and my selves beat them back with the relentless brutality of a raging storm. Perhaps this is what it means to be "Lightning". A pity, then, that I cast that name aside. I'm not Lightning now, I suppose. I am Omega. Lightning was a women with friends, hoping to make the world a better place by knocking down tyranny and freeing a good man unjustly imprisoned. Whoever I am now, I am not that woman.

As I stare into the eyes of the moogle who has ruined everything that woman ever held dear, I can't help but wonder: What if He feels this way, too? Omega was the force that drew Garland into Lufenia's war, and caused him to wander time, becoming Chaos, and becoming lost to Cid. Omega tore Cid from His wife, and His home. Omega ultimately claimed that son, and has finally come for Him. To Him, I am every bit the monster He is to me.

"So what now?" Cid asks, amidst the reality-warping madness, "Shall you and I carry on our battle for all eternity, never ceasing, never yielding, never once considering the other? Shall this be our Endless Cycle? Absolute despair, compounded with the incapacity to forgive?"

"Or you could just fucking give up," I snarl in reply.

"Child, I'm afraid the question was rhetorical. I am tired of this dream, and the Fantasy must end. You cling to false beliefs of a world that never was. But no more."

The Cids cease to fight, and suddenly, so do my selves. They're each simply puffed away, leaving just me, and Him. Cid Lufaine restrains me again, and though I try, this time I cannot escape.

"Every passing moment I wake more and more. The dream is ending, as is this battle."

"And yet it goes on and on," I respond.

"Not any longer," Cid says, clenching a paw, causing my body to slowly implode. The pain is bad, but compared to everything else I've been through, and given my inexplicable healing powers, it's not that bad.

"That all you got?"

"A mere warm up, Child. Tell me, do you know what it's like to wield Absolute Virtue? It is to be connected with all things, all reality. That means you take upon yourself simultaneously every sensation of everything in reality. I wonder, could you fathom, even for a moment, the experience of all the pain and sin of all reality?"

"You can't be serious."

"I am. Everything out there in the dream, false as it may be, has cultivated itself into a vortex of pain, grief, and anguish. The war didn't end, oh no, it's gotten much worse since you came in here. As reality collapses, the dreams run around, offing one another. To call it a purge now would be an understatement.

"Now! Show me, Omega! Show me if you're worthy of ending reality, rather than I! Show me if your precious dream outranks my escape from this nightmarish horror! Feel the wrath of God! Behold, the greatest, most awe-inspiring spell in all worlds! **E-SU-NA-JA!**"

The next second is filled with a blinding sensation, too great to call pain. One that fills every last inch of my being over and over and over again. I feel the need to erupt, to overflow, and yet I can't. Images of every last moment of evil fill my mind. Death, disease, torture, injustice, prejudice, war, murder, genocide, xenocide, adultery, rape, gluttony, wrath, tyranny, anarchy, madness, regicide, matricide, patricide, homicide, suicide, sorrow, despair, loathing, pride, and so much more. The feeling shakes me in a way I can't begin to understand, as I am made to witness every tragic moment of wrong and harm in the history of all worlds. I see Garland's death through his eyes as I kill him. I feel Cuore's knife plunge into Benjamin's flesh, and Omega's tip as it slides through Kain's chest.

_Esunaja_, a healing spell. One of a magnitude I've never felt before. How absolutely brilliant, using a _healing_ spell as an attack! I'd be in admiration were I not wracked by a feeling so incredibly wretched that it has me on the ground, crying, and wishing I were free enough to writhe in pain. My body's spasms increase in violence as the intensity of the feeling rises, but, even in this I am not free of Him.

"Now," He says, "how do you feel?"

"Gagghnnn," is more or less what escapes my throat amidst the horrible shrieks and frothing saliva mingled with blood.

"That really isn't descriptive enough for me. Please, _elaborate._"

"HHUUUURRNNNTTSSSSGHH!"

"Almost, almost! But I don't want you to think I'm going easy or anything, so I'll just have to kick it up a notch. Now tell me, how do you feel?"

"IT HURTS! OH GOD MAKE IT STOP!"

"_NO. _Now, beg for mercy."

"MRAAAAAGH!"

"I said _**BEG! FOR! MERCY!**__"_

"HAVE MMMEERCYYYY!"

"AGAIN! AGAIN!"

"MERCY!"

"What about it!"

"HAVE MERCY ON ME!"

"_**NO.**_"

The feeling! The sensation! It drives me wild! I cry in horror and shriek and flail and jerk about in pain, my body no longer registering anything other than that. So many images, so much pain. Oh God, so much pain. How, how do they all go on, when every waking moment is one of indescribable agony? Unless, of course, they don't go on, and it's all just a big, fat lie.

"Now, Omega! Admit it! It's all just a lie! A fantasy! Whatever was out there, it wasn't real! You killed the only real things in that dream! SAY IT TO ME! I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY IT!"

Was it all a dream? It's so easy to accept that, now, in all this pain. It's so simple, so easy to break, and collapse beneath the weight of this pain. It'd be so . . . quiet if it were all a dream. Just a bad dream, from which I could wake up. If I say it, one way or another, He'll let me go, and the hurting will stop.

But as the blood spurts from my pores, and my sweat turns red, and ever last inch of me shudders and cringes beneath a burden beyond comprehension, I start to remember things: The Scholar's warmth, as he held me on those steps. His compassion as he heard my sorrows and promised me hope. The trust Arazlam placed in me, and his complete confidence that I would free us from these wretched times. Cuore's laughter on those rare occasions she was actually happy. And Benjamin, as he lay in my lap, and died in my arms. That feeling, that _love unrequited_, that sincerity that asked only friendship. And Gilgamesh, and his unwillingness to ever follow a rule.

Other things fly through the scenes of death and suffering, like Ramza's calm expression as he fought Barthandelus. The weight of the man from my delusions as he pressed against me. A world full of flowers. Was all of this false? No, not to me it wasn't.

"It was all real to me!" I shout, using the last of my strength to speak clearly. "It was all real to me!"

And then, quite suddenly, the pain stops. My body is released from its restraints, and the flaming sky dims, until it becomes a soft rain. I lay on the ground, convulsing a few minutes more, before I at last hear Cid's voice explaining the sudden change.

"It is over. At long last, this has come to an end. I have won, and am free to go into the final cycle in peace. I have won, it is over . . ."

Pulling myself up on my elbows, I look out at Him, and see that the God-King is crumbling, His moogle body falling slowly apart. He's crying, but His face is smiling, too. Is this it, then? Only moments away from victory, He falls apart? And what does He mean, 'I have won'?

Cid's body vanishes, and the platform we were on begins to shake. From the floor rises a tube full of liquid crystal, and suspended therein: the body of Cid Lufaine. Not the moogle's body, but His body. The glass shatters, and the liquid pours forth, causing the body to fall outward. As He falls, His arms flail forward, and break the fall.

The man gets slowly to His feet, and at last raises His head to look at me where I lay. It must be that I lost my mind along the way, because I could almost swear I've seen His face before. He looks just like the Warrior of Light . . . sure, He's got a beard, and a mane, but beyond that, the appearance is so . . . similar. And yet, the longer I stare, the more it reminds me of Garland, just before I tore him apart.

A smile graces His lips, curling the beard a bit. Though He's soaked in the crystal, and the rain drenches us, He exudes a manner of heat none the less. A soft steam rises from His body as He stretches a hand in my direction. The fingers uncurl, the palm blossoming open in a gesture of entreaty. And His voice, as it rises above the dull hum of the rain, is one like a father's embrace: warm, soothing, and assuring.

"It has come to an end. My child, I regret to inform you that you have been . . . deceived. A dream, or reality? This question is one I decided to test you on, and you have passed the test. For there are those who do not understand, nor appreciate the value of life. To them, everything is meaningless, and so they see no qualms in destroying others to get what they want. I was one of those, selling myself to Shinryuu for this reason. You were in danger of becoming one, and I hoped to save you.

"My rage extended across all worlds, when I understood what Shinryu had really done. In my quest for revenge, upon Him, and upon so many others, I selfishly brought ruin and harm to many, many lives. I became a monster far greater than the ones I hoped to slay. I reasoned that I wanted my family back, that I was acting out of love, and that love justified the means. I was wrong.

"But now I have, no, _you_ have the chance to make right what I have done. I spent so long in despair, and now, at last, you have brought me hope. Take up your sword," He says, healing my broken body, "and strike me down. So long as I remain, so, too, does all my rage and despair. Destroy me, Omega, and free the world. I will fade into my final cycle, and from the ashes of war, the world that was will be rebuilt. Things will return to the way they were, before the Endless Cycle, the Dissidia, the War of this old and frustrated God."

I rise to my feet, picking up Omega as I do. My spirit takes courage at His words, and I feel I know what I must do. The anger, the hatred, the loathing and sorrow, the apathy, the very feeling of Omega are fading swiftly from me. All my rage is fading, just as fast as His.

"And you? What will you do?"

"I am touched by your sympathy, little one. You can no longer find it in yourself to kill an unarmed man? Then I shall rectify this for you."

In His outstretched hand a simple, unassuming blade appears. It's nothing more than a standard sword. There is no great legacy to this weapon, no aura of foreboding. It is a chunk of metal, in an unfortunate shape. An odd choice, for the blade of God Himself.

"Come, child. Too long have I cursed the world and evaded punishment. Let even God be judged for His crimes."

"As you wish," I say, striding forward, Omega meeting the blade offered. Cid's deflection of the blow is sloppy, and careless. He leaves Himself open, and His lack of effort is obvious. He has no intention of winning this fight, nor even prolonging it.

Even so, as I strike again, He defends. I cannot hope to know why, but I assume it is a sort of duty of His. Wanting or no, He must defend Absolute Virtue to the last. Or maybe He just wants to make sure I earn it, and am not given it. Who can say what the motives of this man are?

As we battle this last time, I find myself rethinking my hatred of the man. I've spent so long loathing Him, building myself up to this moment. And now that it's at last come, I feel . . . _empty_. Here, at the end of all things, I can't bring myself to hate Him any longer. We've both done terrible things to one another, and neither of us ever truly wanted it. He was just an obstacle to me, and I a threat. He hated me because I robbed Him of His son, and I because He robbed me of my peace. What right have I to see myself as more than Him?

Our battle does not draw out for very long. Cid's resolve eventually fails Him, and Omega finds His heart. The blade is driven through His chest to the hilt, and I find Him collapsing on me. He laughs faintly, as the world around us begins to tremble.

"Thank you, my child. Thank you. I am free at last of the guilt and anger of my past. Your mercy is one I wish I could repay."

"What happens now?"

"Now I go, to become part of the 14th Cycle. Absolute Virtue will be yours, and, when the cycle ends, the world will be made as you will it." He smiles and adds, "I have faith that you will make it right. I always have, ever since the beginning."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, my child, do not trouble an old man with such riddles. Look!"

And I looked, and beheld a ball of light in Cid's hand, where His sword had been.

"What is that?"

"Absolute Virtue," He said, "In its purest form. Love, and Hope."

I take the ball from Him, feeling its warmth, and the chill of His skin. He's becoming weightless now. And, with one final remark, He fades away for good.

"Remember," He says, "That love conquers all, heals all, and saves all."

When at last He is gone, the world fades into darkness, leaving me alone, with only Absolute Virtue for light. For a long time I stare at it, unsure of what to do.

And then I hear someone clapping, and the sound of a woman's voice, laughing at me in the darkness.


	51. Chapter 51 Absolute Virtue

**WHOEVER**

"Who's there?" I call into the darkness.

_"She doesn't know yet,"_ the woman says.

"No, but then, does she need to?" says another, identical to the first.

_"I doubt it. Neither do you, any longer."_

"Then erase me, if you can."

"Who's there?" I shout again.

_"Be quiet, now. My turn is first, and I will end it all."_

"Who's there!" I cry in desperation.

"Can't you see me?" the woman asks, cheerfully.

"No, I can't. Identify yourself!"

"Why don't you shine that light of yours a bit more. I'm only a few feet away."

At her request, I shine the light of Absolute Virtue. It takes me a bit of effort at first, but after a moment or two, I've enough light to see her. When I do, my heart nearly stops.

"Hello, child," says Cosmos, the last Goddess in Heaven.

"Y-you?" I gasp in horror, backing away from Her.

"Surprised, are we? Oh, don't look at me like that. You act as though this wasn't what you'd been expecting all along. It's over now, and we've won. Relax, why don't you?"

"We? What do you mean, we? I don't work for you!"

"Don't be silly. You've been working for me all along. Oh, don't make such a face! You have, you know. I'd thought this to be more obvious than your own name."

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't work for you!"

"But you did! Cuore and Benjamin were in my hand all along. As were Kain and Cecil. Our enemy believed that Omega, Arazlam, and Gilgamesh were enough to stop us, but you have proven them wrong. We've won, aren't you happy?"

"I _never_ worked for you! Are you crazy! You and I are enemies! We have been from the start! All of this, all the destruction, death, and pain! All of it was _your_ fault!"

"Was it, now? You certainly are eager to blame others. Didn't you blame Cid only moments ago? And before Him, who did you blame, I wonder?"

"Don't deflect! None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you! You and your war! Your stupid war, and your stupid, meaningless conquest!"

"Stupid, is it? You used to agree with my war. You so willingly accepted the role I gave you in it. I still remember that, to this very day," She says, taking a step toward me.

"Don't come any closer! You're mad, and if you come nearer, I'll cut you down!"

"Cut me down? After all we've been through? Child, I still remember the heat of your tears on my breast, the convulsions of your body as you sobbed for all your worth. Don't you remember that day, outside the Palace of Order?"

"No, no, no! Shut up! Get out of my head, or whatever this is you're trying to do! You weren't there! That memory is mine! How can you know that, unless . . . ?"

"I gave you Hope, don't you remember? Can't you recall the weight of it in your hand, the Hope I gave you? How that Hope has blossomed! How you, sweet, innocent child, have spread it to all Heaven's children! Oh, my dear, beloved child, how your Hope has brought us all to so momentous an occasion! Surely you remember this?"

"You're lying! You can't be! You didn't give me Hope! You . . ."

"Oh, you wound me child. Surely you don't mean this. I've done all of this . . . _for you_. You could say, in fact, that all things everywhere in this world have been done for you."

"For me! Don't mock me! This was never about me! I'm just a weapon, and I've always been coming for you!"

"Yes, child, exactly! You were my sword, while I could not wield one. All your quest has been to bring you to me."

"Stop saying this! I don't work for you! I don't even LIKE you! You're my enemy, and you ALWAYS have been. I came here to slay you, Cosmos, not to hear you blather on about how I've played into some pathetic scheme of yours. I'm DONE with schemes, Cosmos. Cid's are ended, and so are yours. Now run, while you still can."

"Cosmos? Oh, no, no, no. My dear, sweet child, it seems you are sorely mistaken. I am not Cosmos. No, of that I am now certain. I am not Cosmos. Isn't that right, gentlemen?"

Cosmos looks beyond me into the darkness at four men who are emerging from it. Instinctively, I expand Absolute Virtue's light, to allow me a better sight of them. I see they are not four, but five, the fifth being cast at their feet.

Despite the clothing they wear, I recognize each of them. The one on the ground is Gilgamesh, Excalibur still clutched in his hand. The remaining four are, in order, Cid Pollendina, Cid del Norte Marquez, Cid Kramer, and Al-Cid Margrace. The sight of them alone chills my blood even Cid Lufaine could not. Because if they're here, and they're working with Cosmos, and She's denying being Cosmos, then that means . . .

"Have you figured it out yet, little one? Has the truth at last entered your mind, clearer and more painful than Cid Lufaine's Esunaja ever could hope to be? Has it finally dawned on you, just what is really going on here? What the point of your quest has been, what the reason for the fourteenth Cycle is, and how little you have understood along the way?"

"No . . ."

"Yes," She says, taking another step nearer. "Now say it."

"No!" I look to Gilgamesh, to the Cids for help.

"Why seek their help now," She asks, "when you have shunned it at every turn? I am the only one you have ever fully trusted and fully served in all of this. Now say it."

"You're . . . !"

"Yes, you begin to see it! You can deny it no longer! SAY IT! WHO AM I!"

"You're The Scholar!"

"In the flesh."

"Not your flesh."

"But flesh all the same. It's been a long time, Agent Lightning."

"I don't understand. What's going on? Why are you in Cosmos, body?"

"Have you forgotten? I gave you a glimpse of this a long time ago, back on the Beach at Romantic. A vision of my being freed after the fall of Cid Lufaine's corrupt regime. Remember?"

"That was you? But then- what about the purge?"

"A means to draw Chaos here, and ease your path to Absolute Virtue. Instigating the Purge put Chaos into action, helping Him break into the Prison at Sanity's Edge, causing the war, and ultimately allowing you to come this far."

"But then-! All of this, what was it for!"

"For you, my child. All of this has been for you. For us."

"I-I, what? How was any of this for me? It was all for the people, wasn't it? To make Heaven right again!"

"Child, there is still so much you need to hear. A little privacy, gentlemen?" The Scholar asks, as His hair flies forward, piercing each of the four Cids, draining them dry. My voice catches in my throat at the sight. I'd grown to hate them, but this, this defies reason!

"Why? Why did you do that? Weren't they your friends?"

"And it is for that reason that I did it. Now they're a part of me, and free from Heaven's pain. They knew all along that this moment would come, and not a one was unprepared for it. Now, do relax, as this explanation may take awhile."

"You're mad, Scholar! I don't know what Cosmos did to you, but you're mad!"

"You don't know the half of it, little girl. So let's keep this simple, and spare your troubled head the details. Give me Absolute Virtue."

"What?"

"Did I stutter? Give me Absolute Virtue. Hand it to me, and fulfill your role! That is what you have been laboring for all along! To give me Absolute Virtue, so that I can heal Heaven's hurt."

"All of this . . . has been about power? You mean everything I've done, has been in the pursuit of power?"

"Hasn't it? Your quest revolved around the acquisition of Proof of Omega, and you very quickly shifted your focus from defeating Cosmos and stopping The Purge to slaying Cid Lufaine and ending His version of the world. So tell me, if power was not the very heart of your actions, what, then, was?"

"No, no, no! NO! NO!"

"STOP DENYING THE TRUTH! All along you have worked to free me, and gain Absolute Virtue, now surrender it to me, and take your long awaited rest."

"Why should I? Why not just use it for myself?"

"You, use Absolute Virtue? Oh, yes, in place of a High Cid, there will be you- a High- I'm sorry, what _was_ your name again? No matter, you will rule instead of Cid. No longer will Heaven bow before a tired old man looking for His lost son, but rather it will tremble in fear before the woman who killed her lover, her friends, and anyone who ever came near her! Look at you, Lightning; you're soaked with blood. The rains have washed it from you, but nothing will ever cleanse the stain from you.

"You are weak, and violent. Your anger dominated you thus far, driving you to lust for power, more and more, and claim the lives of innocents in sacrifice unholy to _you_. How could someone like you, who doesn't know who she is, has committed unforgiveable acts of murder, and has allowed something as simple as this Fantasy World to dominate her every move, how could someone like that _ever_ wield Absolute Virtue? Now give it to me."

"I, I . . ." is all I can stammer as I sink to my knees. Is this really it? After everything I've gone through, is this how it ends? The Scholar . . . was the one manipulating me all along? The Scholar was the traitor Goegnuo mentioned? How couldn't I have seen this coming?

"Do not hate me, child. Blame yourself or God, but do not blame me, for I have done all I could for you. We all have done everything we could for you. Do you need to know still who you are? Let me tell you, my beloved, exactly who you are. And let me tell you what no one has told you thus far- when all of this began.

"In the world, certain 'series' of persons appear. In this world a Cid is born, and in that another. Normally they're brilliant men, made in the image of Cid Lufaine. In one world is born a Sarah, and in this, a Serah. They're normally princesses, or damsels in distress, as a remembrance of Cosmos, and, more to the point, Mio, Cid's wife. In this world a Biggs and a Wedge, and the pair in another world, almost always soldiers, often dying on the swords of the heroes' success. Many are the orders of repeating names, and while wielding some, like, say, a Maria, is no big deal, to hold a Sarah is to have a powerful piece in your hand.

"As a side story to this, I present also the Hero Project. This project began in ancient Lufenia's darkest hour, a project which spawned 6 Sky Warriors, one of whom was Garland, or Chaos. He was separated from the 5, whose memories were transmitted to the days when Garland resurfaced in Corneria. Their own attempt on the Temple of the fiends left them as bats, and had Garland sent ultimately to World B.

"And who better to send Him to start the Time Loop, than the culmination of the ancient project? Yes, the 4 Light Warriors and their two friends. 6 and 6 again. And among these four, THE Warrior of Light, the man upon whose shoulders this Heaven long stood.

"And oh, how the story of the four Warriors of Light resounded across Heaven! Cosmos' victory via Her warriors sparked a million others. Luneth and his Onion Knights. Their counterparts in The Dark Warriors. The ancient Zodiac Braves, the ones employed by Ajora and the Lucavi, and the ones assembled by Ramza Beoulve. And lest we forget, The Dawn Warriors, their adopted member King Tycoon, and that odd man out, Cid Previa.

"And while on that subject, let us not forget the ill-conceived plan of Dorgann Klauser- Final Heaven! Oh, it worked, I suppose. For them, Heaven ended the moment I had their carcasses mounted without this throne room. Five men seeking to overthrow Heaven's throne and institute a radical change. Have you heard this before?

"Obsidian was assembled for this purpose. Only I believed it to be an improvement; for while the Dawn Warriors were successful in attaining Godhood, they were mere men of no importance. But we, we were six Cids, brought together with the common intention of changing Heaven, and exposing the corruption of The Gods. Six Cids, for a time . . .

"We prayed, oh how we _lusted_ for the day when Cosmos would invite us to Her palace. We, like so many other uneducated fools, eagerly awaited the chance to strike at what we perceived to be the greatest evil in Heaven. You have seen how well that ended for us.

"We did not know that Cid Lufaine had so intimate a connection to Cosmos, and we never would have known, had things not played out this way. We never would have known that He was, in fact, The Sire of Firion's world. But we, wiser than Dorgann and the fools who had followed him, had prepared for things to become . . . unpleasant.

"Because five and four are not the Holy Number, but rather six. So we brought you in to our circle. We used Arazlam to do it, and through him we began to shape you, preparing you for the moment you would take the crystal from my hands that held the plan to change all of Heaven, should our first plan fail.

"Only when things had fallen to pieces, and I had wrested control from Cosmos, did I begin to understand how high our hopes for success had become. Like Obsidian before, we molded your group to look like it was one of five, when in actuality it was six. Brilliant, wouldn't you agree?

"We took Dorgann Klauser's plan for Final Heaven, tested it with Obsidian, and perfected it with you. We took the Light Warrior legend, and expanded on it, by varying the number of your group between four and six. Firion was meant to have been a clue to you, but I suppose you missed it. And lastly, we took The Hero Project and consummated it in you, giving you an evil king to fight, mystic treasures to seek, a powerful sword to wield, and ultimately, Absolute Virtue's crystal to wield. And it worked perfectly.

"You may be missing it, so I'll fill you in. Your group was not five, but six. It consisted of you, Arazlam, Cuore, Benjamin, Gilgamesh, and I. Ingenious, isn't it? Because if having five Cids wasn't enough, we figured we'd try for five Cids and two Sarahs. Combine that with Final Heaven, The Light Warriors, and The Hero Project, and we come now to our present location. But when did it all begin? That is the thing you seek to know. So let me tell you when this all began, and how it all must surely end."

"NO!" I shout, getting back to my feet. "I don't want to hear anymore!"

"_DOWN, GIRL!_" The Scholar barks, whipping me backward with His hair. "When did it all begin? Would you believe me if I told you that when, as they've said, isn't so important as where? Now, what do I call that place? Ah! I know, let's keep up Cid's naming scheme, shall we?

"We'll call it World 'E', shall we? In World E, that is where all of this began. When is a bit harder to explain. Initially, I believed it to be a world within Cosmos Herself, but I have since learned otherwise. What it is, I cannot rightly say, only that it isn't quite the same place as this. Now, as for the when, oh, how will I explain it?

"For me it was when I had been absorbed by Cosmos. I found the fragments of my being in World E, wandering, and quickly losing awareness. In the middle of that strange, featureless waste, I came across a little girl. You, to be precise. Because for you, it all began long before you arrived in Heaven. Can you remember it? Can you recall the things we said there, and the exchange we had? What happened there was repeated outside the Palace of Order, and the two events are immutably linked. I know you remember . . ."

"Hope . . ."

"Yes, that's right. Hope. Our Endless Cycle. I am come to fulfill my part of the promise, now that you have kept your end of the bargain. Now as for the ending; give me Absolute Virtue, and the cycle can go on."

"I don't want this! This isn't the hope I wanted! What do I have to hope for? A Heaven ruled by you, instead of Cid Lufaine? What's the difference between you and Him?"

"Why, I'm hurt, child. You did not think this way when first we met."

"Yeah? Well maybe I've changed!"

"And certainly not for the better. You were meant to be preserved by Arazlam until this point, but still a hint of defiance lingers in you. So let me ask this, then: What do you intend to do, if not fulfill your mission, and surrender Absolute Virtue to me? Will you rule Heaven? Can you do a better job than Cid Lufaine, or I? Look inside yourself; you know you cannot. You are full of hatred, anger, and self-loathing. You haven't the hope of ruling Heaven. Your one desire has been to be free from pain and sorrow for so long, you've abandoned any thought of life or its values. Or am I mistaken?"

"No, but-"

"But what, child? You haven't anyone else to give this to, if not to me! Surely you acknowledge that, between the two of us, I am the lesser evil?"

"Evil is still evil, no matter the size."

"No, child, it is not. Evil is just a word, given meaning by man."

"Then how are you better than me?"

"Look inside yourself. Am I not?"

"I, I don't know-,"

"Yes, yes, 'I don't know anymore!' How very special for you. Is there anything you _do_ know? You don't even know if any of this is real, or not!"

"So what if I don't! I'm not going to just give you-,"

"Why not? What _reason_ do you even have? I have been patient long enough child. I have tried to be sympathetic, understanding, and caring. But my patience has worn thin. Surrender Absolute Virtue, child! Let me take from you the pain, the angst, the sorrow, and make the world the way we always wanted it. The way it was always meant to be! You have no reason to clutch at it so! Give it up, and let us forget this horrid world of fear and evil!"

"You're wrong," I say at last, pulling myself together. Where the resolve and strength are coming from, I'll never know. Absolute Virtue is the only possible explanation, since I'm too tired, and weak, and broken to resist The Scholar by this point. Everything S/he's said has made sense, but still, it's all wrong. And I can see it clearly now. "You're wrong," I repeat.

"How! How! Tell me, little girl! I have put up with this for LONG ENOUGH! Now tell me, HOW!"

"I did not do all of this for power. Not for my own power, and certainly not for your own."

"Then what! For what reason DID you do this, you damned fool!"

"For the same reason you did, at first- for freedom. For love, and for hope."

"Hope?" Asks a man behind me, "Oh, my dear creature, I believe you're rather mistaken. Hope does not exist."


	52. Chapter 52 Closing Statements

**ME . . . ?**

"Oh, _no_," I groan, staring him in the eyes.

"Oh, yes. Didn't expect this, did you?" Asks the man, stepping into the light. The man who stands before me is none other than Cid Previa- The Scholar. Except that it _can't_ be Cid Previa, because The Scholar is currently inhabiting the body of Cosmos behind me. And if Cosmos' body is The Scholar, that can only mean one thing . . .

"Cosmos," The Scholar/Cosmos says, bowing in mockery. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"You may be the Goddess and I the man, now," Cosmos/Scholar responds with a curtsey utterly out of place for her masculine body, "But I still know more about being a God than you ever will."

"I doubt that very much," The Scholar replies, taking a step nearer, "I've got time to spare. At least, I will very soon."

"Oh yes, Absolute Virtue. We'll discuss that in a moment," Cosmos sneers, stroking her beard. "But first, I believe we were discussing 'hope,' was it?"

"And 'love,'" The Scholar returns.

"Yes, that's right. Now let me share with you what 'hope' and 'love' really are, princess." Cosmos puts one of her hands on my shoulder, as though to comfort, then tightens her grip. A moment later her hand flies across my face as she shrieks "LIES! That's what they are! Total lies!"

Before I can respond, The Scholar lands a fist on the back of my neck, sending me stumbling forward, right into Cosmos' arms. Cosmos grabs me and throws me to the ground, whereupon she straddles me, gripping my throat.

"Love! Ha! Do you know what I did for love? I went along with that fucking Cid's plan and Shinryu's fucking war, and more just to save the man I loved, and what did it get me? WHAT DID IT GET ME! The man I love is dead, at YOUR hands. His father murdered to slake your lust. Only the shadow of them remains! That is what love got me!"

I don't want to resist her, don't want to fight her off of me, but something inside me continues to fight. But the rage is gone. I can't be angry, not even to lost to Cosmos, or be betrayed by The Scholar. And without fury, how can I fight? What have I, if not my anger? And honestly, even if I wanted to be, about what would I be angry? I don't even know Cosmos, and The Scholar is right about everything. What reason have I left to fight?

But you know what? Forget reasons. And forget analysis. I'm done thinking about why, and I'm tired beyond weariness of sorrow and angst. I don't really care much about why anymore. Omega's hold is fading, sure, but I guess maybe I don't really even need Omega's power to win anymore. Hell, maybe I won't even win, but I am _not_ going to just give up. Not now. I'll tear it ALL down, or nothing.

"Get. Off. Me." I growl, suddenly grabbing Cosmos' wrists and lifting.

"No. Now DIE!" She hisses back, pressing more firmly. But it's too late. I've already gathered my strength and, as she crushes my larynx, I begin to break her forearms. The pain is nothing for me, not after Esunaja, but can she endure what I dish out in her new form?

Cosmos releases me, springing backward and clutching her arm in pain, only to be knocked aside by The Scholar. I get back to my feet, and pick Omega up as I go. Now it's time to settle this, once and for all.

"Dear child," The Scholar says, putting a hand on his breast, "Look here. All that remains of the world is you, me, and Cosmos. Only one of us can hold Absolute Virtue. Don't you remember what She did to you? Would you surrender something so pure into the hands of one so twisted?"

"Shut up, Cid," Cosmos roars, "I'm no more twisted than you. Now give me Absolute Virtue, little girl, before I have to tear it out of your hands! No wait, I like that idea better. Resist me, I dare you. Fall like all others before my feet. And when you do, you'll see how important 'love' and 'hope' really are!"

Cosmos runs forward, fire in her eyes, death in her hands. I wait, one moment, two, three, and then, when she's near enough, land a knee to her groin. Shocked by the sudden pain, Cosmos freezes, just long enough for my elbow to come down on her spine.

"I always did wonder," I say, grabbing her and throwing her away from me, "whether it hurt as much as men say it does. Your reaction confirms."

"Such violence," The Scholar notes, "Is this really conduct befitting a champion of hope, and love, and freedom?"

"You know something? I don't really know, and I really don't care. I've given my reasons, and I'm willing to defend them. That appears to be more than you ever were."

"You'd wound me, were I not skeptical still of how earnest your belief in such fleeting virtues truly is."

"Do tell," I reply, Cosmos slowly getting to her feet.

"You are a murderer, a killing machine, a destroyer. I took you, Serah, Lightning, because I believed that you were able to defeat The Lady and anything She could dish out. You have . . . exceeded that expectation. As Cosmos, I arranged for only the relocation of persons already unwilling to comply with the salvation of Heaven. You, on the other hand, have cut a path across Heaven so deep and red that it would bleed, even now, had you not beheaded it.

"But let us not dwell on the grandiose, broad sins. Let us, rather, focus on those sins for which you are more directly responsible, shall we? Now, where do we begin? Ah, let us begin with the obvious, shall we? Who was it that _really_ encouraged all this murder and carnage? Was it me? No, no. I believe you told Cid Kramer you intended to kill me some time back. What was it that lurked in your heart soon after? Rosa, was it not? No, it couldn't be, since after you killed Kain, Cecil, and Snow, your thirst for blood was not quenched. Who, then, was the spark of so much anger?

"And, wrath aside, let's not forget lust. Gilgamesh's constant advances on your person were far more welcome than you pretended. Oh, you naughty little whore, how you shamed us in our own house, grinding your frame against his. And this only moments after tenderly holding another man in your embrace. Benjamin and Gilgamesh, your heart never truly chose between the two. If you could have had your way, you'd have devoured them both, and why?

"Because you are greedy. Your hunger for power is undeniable. Why else did you sacrifice Terra and Firion, despite their peace and happiness, to your pursuit of power? Do not DARE compare yourself to me, child, for I had the compassion to at least spare those whose souls I knew were at rest from my own devious schemes. So driven were you for power that all Giruvegan fell for it, and not even Omega could hope but to beg for mercy from your hands.

"And what of your apathy? Hand in hand with your despair, you became increasingly less concerned with, well, _everything_ and, even as you hammed up how horrid it was to be you, you obsessed over your own perfection. Time, you were given, and chances afforded to enjoy your journey and the companions you had, but instead you played the tragic heroine to the bitter end, willingly allowing your friends to die and murder one another because _you_ were important, and _you_ alone! Had you cared for them, long, long before you would have noticed that your apathy forced Benjamin to Cuore, and encouraged her desire to slaughter the both of you. You'd have seen that Arazlam was barely hiding something from you, or that Gilgamesh had been pleading repeatedly with you to NOT come here, especially after he had warned you that he'd be forced to betray you here! But you preferred to chase phantoms in Benjamin's alleged betrayal rather than face reality.

"On and on I could go, about your pride, and your ambition, and how you and you alone are the cause of suffering, and not I, but I believe my point has been made only too clear. Nevertheless, let me drive this all home by voicing that which you have not _dared_ put into words, but have been thinking all this time.

"I am no traitor to our cause. I am the end result of it. All of this has transpired the way it has because it must. I am the one man who has remained faithful to the truth, and not become attached to the lies of this world. I have seen the reason of The Cycles, and orchestrated all of this to thwart it and free us all of the dreams and whimsy of Gods. Reality is cruel, and it is harsh, but it is still infinitely better than this lying dream. Given Absolute Virtue, I will continue the mission, and bring about Final Heaven.

"You, on the other hand, are the traitor to our cause. You have claimed the lies as your reality, and you have chosen the weakness of 'love,' and 'hope' and 'friendship' in a world that does not exist over me, the one truth, and over me, the only man who has ever loved you, given you hope, and been your friend. You are the traitor, not I. STAND DOWN, child. I am the hero of this story, not you.

"Who is that has drawn sword against a friend? Who is that has turned their back on the members of our organization? Who is that even now clings desperately to fallacies, when the sweet refreshment of reality, and the glorious climax of victory is but moments from our reach? Who now resists and dissents, when unity and reason are required? You slew your comrades to the last, and now you will draw your sword and fight me. So don't you dare look at me with those accusing eyes and think in your heart that **I** am the traitor. I am no villain, no ma'am. The monster here is not me, but you!"

"Oh, Scholar," Cosmos croons, "You talk too much. She's not giving Absolute Virtue, so I'll just take it from her!"

Cosmos runs at me again, and this time, as I slash at her, she ducks, grabs my knees, and knocks me to the ground. As we fall, I stab Omega into the ground and, making use of the force and momentum of the fall, manage to flip Cosmos to the ground and land atop her. It's not enough for her to stop, though, and she twists from beneath me, crawling away in a hurry.

I back away from her as she does, and try to create a little distance between us. Cosmos seems to agree, and composes herself. She lowers her shoulders, and exhales. There's a little blood running through her beard now, and she doesn't seem to be all that well. This doesn't stop her from smiling, though.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, little one. Give me Absolute Virtue," she says, "or I will take it from you. Why not hasten the inevitable? No matter your choice, I will get Absolute Virtue from you. Allow me to explain why.

"The Scholar has my body, but I have his. I have survived to this point, and will arrive in the fourteenth cycle, but not in my present state. When I am integrated into the final cycle, I will be given my body back, and when the cycle ends in my favor, I will return to Heaven in possession of myself. So if you give The Scholar Absolute Virtue, it will remain in my body when the war begins, and with it I will end the war, and remake Heaven in my image. I have already won, child."

"Nay," The Scholar says, "Rather, I have already won. For this body has yielded itself to me, and my own body so, too, will do. I am the master of both these forms, and when the war begins, there, too, will I be. If you give Cosmos Absolute Virtue now, it will carry in my body with me to the final battle. If you surrender it to me, I will remain in Cosmos' body with her, and usurp the throne of order once more, claiming Absolute Virtue for myself and instituting Final Heaven when the war ends in our favor. I am Cosmos, and Cosmos is The Scholar. Do you see it now, how hopeless your situation has truly become?"

"Either way you choose," they say in unison, "I have to win."

"So what's it gonna be," Cosmos asks, "Which do you choose, now, at the end of all things? Do you choose me, and save Heaven from further harm?"

"Or do you choose me," The Scholar says, "and remain true to that for which you have fought?"

I hesitate in response, and when I do, their expressions darken. Both of them becoming enraged. Their anger emboldens me, and I respond the only way I can, "Neither! I choose not to surrender Absolute Virtue! Not to you, Cosmos, and not to you, Cid!"

It is then that I am taught a very valuable lesson. Cosmos- that is, The Scholar's face twists, rage consuming the otherwise beautiful face. He reaches the boiling point, and fires upon me, shouting in his anger, "DO. NOT. CALL. ME. CID!"

The flames lick my face, and while I steel myself for them, I am not prepared for the sudden blast of ice piercing my stomach and spine. I swear I've endured everything thrice over by now, but before Absolute Virtue can fill in for Omega and heal me, Cosmos combines her strength with The Scholar's, casting forward a beam of light that sears the skin and pulls at the flesh.

This lasts only momentarily, however, as The Scholar knocks her aside, claiming victory over me for himself, firing again and again, until at last his long, golden hair snakes out and pierces me, just as Barthandelus had done to Cuore to possess her, and Arazlam, to kill him. The Scholar's influence invades me, and fights to take control of my being.

Omega, however, denies him access as I chop the hair off, causing it to wither and smoke. The Scholar staggers back a moment then fires more, even as Cosmos looks frantically about for a way to beat him to it. Not that I can think of any way she could at this point.

"Submit! Beg forgiveness of the one, true God! Of the Almighty you have slighted! On your knees, pathetic pawn!" Cid roars, the tentacle hair penetrating both Cosmos and I at the same time. "Cease to exist! I have tolerated you and your miserable hopes of life and liberty and love and hope for far too long! I see no further reason to explain myself to you, and since you no longer respond to reason, I deny even the need to justify this! You resist in vain, Lightning, Serah, Omega, for I have made you, and now, monster, I will do the world a favor, and undo that which I have done!"

There's a certain desperation to my reasoning in the coming moments that I know I'll never be able to understand it. It's a choice made in one of those moments that hangs between madness and reason, reality and fantasy. As The Scholar's force pulses in me, numbing my body and spirit, I cling to Absolute Virtue and think of the first things that come to mind.

_Ramza Beoulve, and a world full of flowers._

"You know, kitten," says someone behind The Scholar as the tip of a blade bursts through his heart, "There are only so many perfect breasts in this world, and it's shameful to ruin yours, but then, I've always been more of an ass man myself."

The Scholar, in horror, looks down at the sword sticking from his breast. Excalibur's tip drips Cosmos' blood; a pain that Cosmos apparently shares, judging by her own expression. Each turns to behold the man who drove the blade through The Scholar, only to find that it was not driven, but thrown, by Gilgamesh, who stands, knees weak, at the end of the platform.

The Scholar turns to grab him, but his arm crumbles as he reaches. He turns toward me again, a new madness in his eyes, "Fool! You've ruined everything! EVERYTHING! But this isn't over, no, not yet. The battle I give you, but it's a shame you won't survive to see the war ended. One more cycle, one last cycle, that's all I neeeeeaaaarrrrggghhhhH!"

The Scholar crumbles around Excalibur, and Cosmos begins to disintegrate, too. Her tone is calm, though her words echo The Scholar's as she calmly states, "The war is closing. The cycle is about to break. All the pieces are taken to the board, and there the prize awaits us. You have only denied us a head start. The real game is about to begin. A pity neither of you will be there for it."

With this last bit of mockery, Cosmos and The Scholar are gone, and with them all those who sought to rule Heaven. Absolute Virtue itself is gone, and now, were it not for its light still hanging in the air, Gilgamesh and I would remain here forever, alone in the darkness.

Gilgamesh runs toward me, and catches me as I fall to the ground. Searching for the cause of his sudden panic, I notice that I did not recover fully from The Scholar's attack before sending Absolute Virtue away. I am, as it happens, bleeding profusely. And though pain and horror and fear have been my only food this whole time, the sudden chance of death is welcome to me, rather than rejected with fear.

"Hey," Gilgamesh says, trying to keep me with him. "All this time, and I never even got to know your name."

"Me either," I respond. My breath beginning to grow short. "You know something? I should've slept with you when I had the chance."

"Really?" He asks, his eyes filling with tears as he tries to avoid the elephant in the room. "I'm glad you didn't. You've always been such a mystery to me. The chase is part of why I fell in love with you."

"Gods, that's cliché," I laugh, then cough, my body growing cold, "Still; I wish you didn't love me. Mostly because I don't feel like I've been a very good 'me.' I wish you could've known me, and not Lightning or Omega."

"Hey, whoever you are, your ass is still fascinating to me."

"Will you stay with me till it's time to go?"

"No. I'll stay with you even afterward."

"We feel it necessary to state that the two of you are the worst example of romance, quite possibly, ever," someone in the shadows says. The voice is unmistakable. And it's definitely not the last one I ever want to hear. It is, of course, the voice of Goegnuo.


	53. Chapter 53 State of Mio

**SWIFTLY TILTING WOMAN**

"We are pleased that you have come this far, Etrosian Princess. For a time, we worried that you would not make it."

"Gogo," Gilgamesh half growls, "what are you here for?"

"To put an end to all that we have seen to be wrong."

"Which is everything, no doubt," I say, feeling cold, sustained by the warmth of Gilgamesh's hand.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Too late," I sneer, mustering what snark I have left, "Absolute Virtue is gone. Make like the rest and get yourself into 'the next cycle' so we can have our peace."

"Oh, no, you are misinformed. Absolute Virtue was a diversion. Cleverly crafted, I give you that, but a diversion none the less."

"Oh, fun, more revelations. If you have any more up your sleeve, let's have them out now, so I can die without the headache."

"You certainly maintain a healthy spirit, for one whose spirit is swiftly deteriorating, Oersteddian Queen. But in honor of the requests of the dying, I'll lay bare my hands. Where to start, though?"

"Wait, 'I'? 'My'? What happened to the plural personas?"

"Not presently required," Goegnuo says, with a shrug. "Now save your strength. Here comes the exposition. It likely won't be a very wordy one. After all the rants you've been through. I promise to keep it brief. Now if only I could determine where to begin . . ."

"You could begin by leaving," Gilgamesh says.

"No, no, I'm afraid I can't. Ah! Let's start with the most frustratingly cliché, shall we? The revelations."

Goegnuo snaps its fingers, and two persons emerge from the shadows. I don't have time to be surprised at the sight of one Sol, Warrior of Light, Alfador the cat, and Aerith, perpetual meddler, as Goegnuo reaches for its mask, and, after a quick tug, drops it to the floor. The face revealed is none other than that of Cosmos'. Yet the face differs from hers. It's older, with crow's feet dotting the corner of her eyes, and a fade to the blonde, leaving it almost white.

"Goegnuo is three people, not two," she explains. "Gogo, who serves as the host persona, normally, Enuo, who gives us our drive, as well as our powers, and Mio, the present body, and dominant will. That would be Go, then g, for Gogo, En, then u, for Enuo, and just one o, for Mio."

"You're Cid Lufaine's wife!" Gilgamesh gasps, recalling Cosmos' revelation, so long ago.

"Indeed. I am her. Or rather, I am a composite of Mio, as well as the memories of all the women whose persona she usurped over the years. I survived for a very long time by jumping from one woman's brain to the next, nibbling away at the corners of their memories. For a time, I made use of one Raem, to make space in people's heads for me. Unfortunately, every jump brought a snippet of some other woman along, and I eventually got too big for heads."

"By which time you died, I suppose."

"Inasmuch as I could ever die. But that's not really the point. The point is, just like Cid, I looked for our family. And when I found Cid, I found him beyond saving, as was the rest of my family. Caught up here, in this place and situation. I won't bore you with my version of reality and history, so suffice it to say, when I found my husband and son, they were beyond saving. Captives of Shinryu, and the woman who sought to be me. For a time, I gave myself up to despair, as I'm sure many others have.

"Wandering the Void, I came across Gogo and Enuo, who were rather certain that you would come to be, and that you would break the chains that bound my family. They had many names for you. Omega, Destruction, The Void Incarnate, Etrosian Princess, and many far more poetic and lengthy. I understand you even had a few that were vulgar, if well-intentioned.

"To make a long story short, We three became one, and together, decided we'd set out to find you. It's been a long journey, and I won't bore you with the details of it, but I'll say this: Along the way we discovered something special. Alpha Weapon, the opposite of Omega. A creator, to Omega's destroyer.

"Sparing you the details, my plan has been to obtain this Alpha Weapon, and bring it into contact with Omega Weapon. Beyond that, well-"

"No spoilers," Alfador says.

"Correct," Mio says. "And we've now succeeded in our goals thus far. All Alpha's components are here. Alfador, the beast, and Sol and Aerith providing the beauties."

"What about the blade?" I ask, only half interested at this point.

"Ah, that you've brought to us." Mio replies, pointing to Excalibur in Gilgamesh's hand. "Excalipur."

"What?" Gilgamesh more states than asks, his surprise evident. "I think you're confused. I beat Arthur, fought my way through Heaven's best, battled Chaos, and slew Cosmos with this sword. I believe I'm confident when I say this is Excali_bur_, not Excali_pur_."

"Sorry!" Aerith chimes in, "But that'd be my fault. I persuaded Benjamin to aide us in our efforts, which boiled down to him retrieving this sword from me."

"Wait, that means you were the knight with the swords?" I ask.

"Yep! Actually, you guys gave me a lot of work. I had to persuade both Firion and Terra to help you out."

"No, I distinctly remember Terra NOT being helpful," I say.

"She doesn't like you very much?" Aerith apologizes.

"So Benjamin WAS a traitor, then."

"Oh, no! You've got it all wrong! Benjamin was loyal to you. That's why he helped us out."

"I don't get it," Gilgamesh says, "How could helping you help us?"

"Ah-ah!" Alfador chides, "No spoilers, not yet."

"So now what?" I ask, mildly interested, and also mildly dead.

"Hush, little one, soon you will see. So very soon. Now, Alfador, the time has come for us to part."

"Hold it!" I say. "Give me a minute to get to my feet, then we'll settle this."

"I'm sorry," Mio says, looking puzzled, "settle what?"

"This business of last one standing. Whatever you're doing, I'm going to stop you."

"Oh, please, child. You don't even know if my intentions are noble or not. And you have no hope of fighting me. You cannot hope to stand."

"Maybe I can't," I say, "but _he_ can."

Just then Gilgamesh makes to strike at Mio and cut her down. Mio side-steps him, then wrests Excalipur from his hold, running him through moments later. The weapon barely hurts Gilgamesh, but it's distraction enough for her to pick up Omega Weapon and drive it through him as well. As he falls to the ground beside me, Mio calmly states, "Now he can't."

"Gilgamesh!"

"Where was I? Ah, yes. Alfador. It's time for you to go."

"As you desire, madam. May I ask, though, for the benefit of the departing, why are you doing all this?"

Mio's face grows pale a moment, and her eyes distant. She seems lost in a far off place as she considers her response. It doesn't take her more than a moment to snap to, and she answers, "What would you do for love?"

"As I expected," Alfador answers, bursting into bubbles of light that float into Aerith.

"Your turn, mi-" Mio stops, puzzled by the sight. Aerith is clasping Sol's hands, whispering in his ear.

She says, just loud enough to hear, "What would you do for love? I do this for my loved ones. What do you do for yours? For love, warrior, what would you do?" She seals the question with a kiss, then erupts into more of the energy bubbles, floating down the warrior's lips.

"Something is wrong here," Mio states, Excalipur snapping free of her grasp and flying into the hand of the warrior. "Something is very wrong."

The blade begins to glow, along with the warrior, then, after a flash of light, they seem to come to a dull gleam. The Warrior drops his helmet to the ground, revealing hair that is red, and white no longer. He looks so familiar, but I suspect that's my insanity talking, more than anything.

"No." Mio says. "You look . . . so much like him. How? Who? This is wrong!"

The warriors eyes open, fire alone dancing within them. An emotion so intense I cannot describe it accurately as mere hate, nor as mere love. It's so much more . . .

"Hello, mother." He says. "This, I do for love."


	54. Chapter 54 The End

**STILL HERE**

"Mother?" Mio asks, recoiling from the sight of the man. Something about him is bothering her in a way nothing has up till now. This woman who, just moments before had foreseen everything, is now visibly surprised.

"Well, I figured I might as well try." He says, taking a step toward her. "I suppose you don't know who I am, do you?"

"You're the Warrior of Light, one Sol."

"Sol is a pun, a cruel and sick joke crafted by you- no, Cosmos- to reference who and what I am. My name is not Sol. Sol is a word for the Sun, which is what I am- The Son."

"My dear boy, you're speaking in riddles, and we really haven't the time. Give me Alpha Weapon, so we can fulfill our quest!"

"Your quest, Mio. What was it, in all honesty? The rumors up until now have been . . . illuminating, so to speak. They say you're planning to merge Alpha and Omega. Others suggest you're going to destroy Omega, and put a stop to destruction once and for all. I'm of the opinion you're shooting for a State of Mio."

"Now you're rambling. I cannot expect a mere dream to comprehend a plan as real as mine, so it's no surprise it's driven you mad, poor thing."

"I am no dream, Mio. Didn't I say it? Isn't my face proof enough? I am The Son. Tell me, Mio, in the tongue of Lufenia, what is the word for Son?"

"No!" Mio gasps, losing her composure again. "You _are_ mad. Your suggestion alone is insane."

"The WORD Mio, what is it?"

"Mid!"

"And oh, how very clever you and Cid must have felt, back then. Mio and Cid, the two names joined spell Mid, the perfect name for a son. My face, doesn't it look just like his?"

"But we did not NAME our son Mid! His name was Garland!"

"True, too true. But tell me, Mio. On that night, when you two gave life to the God of Chaos, did you never once consider what was about to happen?"

"Of course not! We had our duties, and our careers, and our lives at stake! We thought only of ending the war, and bringing peace!"

"I won't bother lecturing you, Mio. To do so would be . . . foolish. Let us just say that I am the end result of everything. I am where all your evils, and all the evils of Lufenia and Onrac, and their ancient war, come to an end. I am the end of that war, and I am the end result of The Hero Project, and the end of The Light Warrior Project, the end of the Crystal Wars, the End of the Endless Cycle, the end of your husband's hatred, rage, and fury, I am the last thing you see before you die. I am the Final Fantasy.

"I am also the beginning. I am the first chapter of hope, of conquering the darkness. I am the first tale in a thousand victories over the evils that you and your ilk have wrought on the heavens. I am the first step of Cid's redemption. I am the first Mid, the first breath of a man newly born, the brand new day, the fresh start, the second chance. I am the New Beginning.

"I am Alpha and Omega. I am your creation, Mio, and I have at last come to deliver swift retribution for your crimes."

"Crimes! What crimes? You're ranting and raving! I have done NOTHING, save try and save my family! I have committed no crime!"

"Madam. Who am I?"

"Excuse me?"

"Am I Mid? Or am I Cid Lufaine? Or am I Garland? The Warriors of Light aborted the version of time in which Garland rampaged, and lost themselves therein. Am I the Garland of that new timeline? Or am I Cid Lufaine, given life once more? Or am I Mid, the Warrior of Light, the last son of Lufenia, born into this cycle of war, made for a purpose that no man dare name?"

"H-How should I know?"  
"Because all things have transpired according to your will, haven't they? Thirteen cycles of war, and all this time here, in this world called Heaven. You must know something."

"Madness! I will not tolerate this madness for even an instant more! How DARE you raise your sword at me! You don't even KNOW who you are, so WHY, WHY do you raise your sword at me?"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. That's where you've all been wrong all along. You see, Mio, I know what you did. Cosmos doesn't have the power to erase someone's memories. No, there are very few people with that power, and Cosmos is not one of them."

"What are you insinuating? You have no memories because you have nothing to remember! You are a dream! Your existence is the cycle of war, and that world I once called my own, wherein you ended your own existence, denying yourself the privilege of life. Now please, grow up, and cease to pretend that I have wronged you!"

"Shinryu absorbs memories, feeds off of them to grow stronger, that's why Cid dreamt up Raem and Namine to guard his prison in this world. But Shinryu can only harvest the memories of those who fall in his wars. Otherwise, those memories stay with others. Who, then, has the power to destroy memories?"

"You must be joking."

"Oh, no, Mio. I'm serious. As serious as I will ever be. This is the mistake you all made, Mio. You, Shinryu, Cid, Cosmos, Chaos, everyone. You wiped me of the life I had, then put me as Cosmos' retainer in this world. You all did me a great wrong, and then gave me the clues to find out exactly what you'd done, and subsequently armed me with the means to fix the problems you had all created. You and your family created me, Mio, and then, in your quests to unite with one another, you all took from me what I held dear, and created a mess so large its depths cannot be named.

"This is the problem, Mio. I remember. I remember who I am, and where I come from. And I know exactly what has happened. I know everything you've done, and I know what I must do. Why am I doing this? Why raise my blade against you? I have a million reasons I could name. To end the Lufenian War once and for all, to end the Endless Cycle of War, to strike down chaos and at last restore order to the world. But those aren't the reason I do this now."

"Oh, well, since you've already gone on this long, do, tell us, why do you do this?"

"What would you do for the one you love?" He asks, closing the distance between them with surprising speed, running Mio through with Alpha Weapon.

"W-what?"

"Sarah, Mid, Cid, Biggs, Wedge, Richard, you didn't think these were the only 'Orders' that have cropped up along the worlds, now, did you? I have come for her. For Elena. The name of the queen of tycoon, the wife of Doma's retainer, of a somewhat careless Turk, of the woman I love, the healer who stood beside me as I cleaned up your messes, the one you all took from me for the sake of your precious family. Did you really think that one day I wouldn't come for you all?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know only too well. Everyone else might be fooled into believing that this war is Cid Lufaine's, or Shinryuu's, but I know better."

"This victory earns you nothing. The final battle is about to begin, and in that world, I will crush you beneath my heel. I shall rise higher than ever before, and when all have bowed themselves before my might, when all worlds kneel before Mio, and the new State of Mio begins, I will erase every last ounce of her from your very being! I will reign over all the ends of the earth, and you will be my footstool."

"Keep telling yourself that." With a twist of the blade, he steps past the falling Mio. Mio, on her knees, screams at him. Words so horrible and fraught with ominous portent and foreshadowing of dark and terrifying things to come, that for a moment they seem to matter.

Mid, assuming that's his name, crouches down beside me, running a hand along my face, brushing hair out of it. His expression is one I cannot read. Slowly he puts an arm beneath me, and lifts me to my feet, saying as he does, "Elena, what has this world done to you?"

I want to respond, to say something, but before I can, he silences me with a kiss. The sensation is unlike any I've ever experienced before, so pure, and yet so passionate. It courses through me like a fire in my blood and a flash of lightning in my skin. It feels so familiar, so right, so true, and yet, to me, it's also wrong.

I'm broken from the trance just moments afterward as I hear Gilgamesh shout, "Lightning? Lightning! Hey!"

Turning to look, I see my body still lying there on the floor, next to him, lifeless and cold. I turn again to the Warrior, a question on my lips, one that fades as I gaze into his eyes.

"I fought so hard to find you," He says to me.

"I don't understand what's happening," I answer.

"Do not worry. It's over now, we're together again."

"NO!" Mio roars behind us.

I turn toward her, and see the woman, crackling and rupturing, as though she were made from popcorn. Her hand stretches out and fires a blast of energy my way. The Warrior moves to defend me, but it's too late. I've begun to fade again.

"Mark well my words, Warrior," Mio growls, "Whatever victory you had hoped to cherish, I will take it yet from you. You want your love at the cost of mine? Then you will have to fight for it. Hahahaha, MWAHAHAHAHAHA, AHEHEHEHEHEHEHE, HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"What have you done?" He cries.

"Me? I am not your concern just now. You may want to say hello and good-bye, though. Hello to your long lost love, and good-bye, as she's off to Chaos' training camp."

The Warrior turns from her, concern in his eyes, and back to me. "Listen to me, Elena. Where you are going I cannot follow. But I will find you. I will save you. This I promise."

"I know," I say, not entirely certain that the words are my own. "I've always known."

And with these parting words, the world at long, long, last fades to darkness. The stillness of eternity embraces me, and I am finally granted the peace of oblivion. Gone, defeated, and destroyed.

And yet . . .


	55. Epilogue Alpha and Omega

And yet I am dissatisfied with this death. I don't feel like I can be still while dead, at all. I don't like how it ended. I'm too full of . . . what? Confusion? Regret? Yeah, I guess some combination of those two. I lost track a long time ago, went off the rails, and look at where it's brought me. I don't like it, and I'm not happy with it at all.

_I believe you. This has been quite the story. I wish I could share with you everything that happened to bring you to this point. It sounds heart-breaking from your point of view. If only you knew just how much hope was still riding on you._

That's another thing. Who are you? Hell, who am I? Why did so many people put their hopes into me, when I let them all down so quickly in my quest? There's so much I need to know, and yet the claws of darkness tug at the corners of my consciousness and pull me down. Tell me, before I'm gone.

_I am Alpha and Omega. Long before the worlds began, I was one. I am the Creator, and he who will usher the end of all things in. You all make the same tragic mistake in accepting as absolute the concept that to The Void all things must return. But then, you all have such trouble even understanding what lies beyond The Void._

And me? Who am I?

_Who do you think you are?_

I don't know anymore. I thought I was Claire Farron, Lightning. But they told me I was Serah, and that makes sense, except I was also Omega, and in the end he called me Elena. Who the Hell is Elena?

_Elena is a woman forgotten by time, a subversion of the works of Cid Lufaine. She was a companion of The Warrior in his quest to defeat Chaos. Along the way the two, like many others, fell in love. But because of the nature of the battles they fought, the relationship was aborted from time, and with it went their memories eventually. Yet Elena popped up in various places since then. Lenna, Queen of Tycoon, Elayne, wife of the Retainer of Doma, and Elena, a somewhat foolish employee of the Shinra Electric Company._

But **ME**. What have I got to do with her? With any of this? Who am I?

_Who do you want to be? Absolute Virtue lingers yet within you. Though to Ramza Beoulve you've sent it for safe-keeping, it has not yet passed fully from your hands. Would you be Claire Farron? Into her you may be assimilated. Would you like to be Serah Farron? This can be given you, as the life Serah lead would as well. Would you be my Omega? Into myself would I receive you. Do you wish to know Elena more? To her soul can I weave you._

You make it sound as though I am not actually my own person. As though I'm not any one of those women. Why would I want to be them? I want to be me, and only me. I just don't know who I am!

_Does anybody ever truly know who they are? Look at me, Alpha and Omega, and knowing this, I am God in a way you are not yet ready to understand. I know who I am, and see the difference between us. Do you know how I know who I am?_

No, but I suppose you've some point to make. So out with it, how do you know who you are?

_I decided._

That's it? That's the big secret? You decided? I don't know what to decide, though. There's still so much I don't understand. I'm so . . . lost. Was all of this just a dream, or was it real? I lost my way somewhere along the path, and toward the end, I despaired of ever finding it again.

_Do you want it all to have been a dream? The power to make it so is in your hands. Do you want that to have been the way reality was? This, too, is in your power._

No, I want to know how things really are. I want to know the truth. The facts as they presently are. I'm not interested in reshaping the world to fit my views of it. Not now.

_But you miss the point. The one who determines reality, and the facts, is you. Absolute Virtue is that right. You are the one who decides what is and is not real now. This is the parting gift you've been given._

I don't WANT to decide, though! I want to KNOW. I don't want to change the way things are and were, I want to KNOW how they are and always have been. I want answers given, not fabricated!

_No one can give you answers, you must seek them for yourself._

Don't lecture me! I have come all this way, not so you can prattle off philosophy and turn phrases around my poor head! Give me the truth, who am I, and what happens next?

_You are who you choose to be. As for what comes next, the answer is simple: war. The final battle will begin, and in it, the contestants will war to decide what is and is not real. The Scholar will fight to prove all things false, and rebuild the world in his truth. Cosmos will fight to put all things in her order. Chaos will fight for vengeance on all things. Mio will fight to claim her family. Cid will fight only because he hasn't the strength to resist, Shinryuu will fight because you have made him afraid. The warriors, too, will have their reasons. But amidst so many strange and conflicting values, who will help them in their times of despair? Who will give them hope?_

I see what you're getting at. But is that it? I am to play the roll given me by a man I've never known? I am not certain I want to. I mean, I'm no Goddess of Hope. I've spent so long doling out despair that, to be the source of hope seems odd to me. Isn't that what Cosmos was meant to do?

_Perhaps it was. Much, as you have noted, has strayed from the way it was meant to be. But you could be a Goddess of Hope, if you wanted to. It would not be so bad, accepting orders from a man you've never known. Isn't that what you're really looking for by seeking answers from me?_

Maybe, but you are different. You're familiar, not foreign. Something about you seems right to me. You're like the ideal I always wanted. At least, you feel that way to me. Except you're being very vague, and incredibly elusive. Why don't you just explain things to me?

_It is not in my nature to just give things. One must earn them._

Aren't you the Creator? Didn't you just give life and meaning to everything, even though it never asked?

_And behold how little worth that gift has been given. Why then should my answers be so lightly thrown about? What meaning would any of this hold to you?_

So do you despise all this, then? You're the Destroyer, as well, aren't you? Why not just tear it all down?

_Always you people assume that to end is to Destroy, and that Destruction must be a state of unbeing, of Void, and you all assume that The Void is empty, and bottomless. To me, it is not so. Have I not told you? I am Alpha AND Omega. I am the Beginning and the End. Tell me now, loved one, what does that make me?_

You can't be both the beginning and the end, creator and destroyer, these concepts oppose one another completely.

_If I stand at the top and the bottom of a circle, where do I stand?_

I don't know. Where does a circle begin, and where does it end?

_Precisely. What am I, then, my friend? I, who stand at all points of the circle at once, more than merely straddling it._

The only word we know for this sort of thing is . . . Eternal.

_Exactly. Now tell me, child of mine, if I am Eternal, why limit myself to any one name, to any one choice? Why bow to any king? Why obey the mandates of others? Why give in to the wills and wants of the clamoring hordes who are so much less than me? Why would it ever matter to me who you are, when you are nothing more than a speck before me, so insignificant that I cannot even be offended by your unworthiness to appear before me?_

There is no reason. If one is so amazing, there is no point in bending to the wills of others. If one is almighty, it can't matter what others think or feel. You're so much more than they are, so why worry? Don't submit, don't waste your time on them. Is this the lesson I'm meant to learn? I can see that, I suppose. I hold Absolute Virtue. Why let others' opinions matter? The worlds are clay in my hands, and I will shape them all.

_Then you have erred greatly. Such beliefs are egregiously wrong. An exceptional failure in the heart is this._

What? But is this not what you've just told me? Isn't this what you just stated?

_No, it is what I just ASKED you. Your response is that others are expendable, and that might makes right. That all the power in the world makes the lives, hopes, and dreams less valuable than your own, because you have the power, and they do not. This is wrong._

So then why DO they matter?

_Must I do the thinking for you? Therein lies the problem. Don't think. __**Feel.**_

Love? Love? How does that answer anything?

_Why did you caress Benjamin, and tell him you were heroes, and friends, when your mind clearly indicated to the contrary? Why, exactly, DID you lend an ear to Arazlam, when you had long since tired of his over-bearing personality? Why did you allow Gilgamesh to follow you for so long, when you had every reason to distrust him?_

Because . . . I loved them? But no, Cuore I did not love. She was a monster all along. An animal more than anything else.

_Cuore did many things wrong, as have you. I wonder, is it possible she isn't somewhere, even like you, mulling over the wrongs of her life? Regretting as you do, all the evil she did?_

I wouldn't know, and I wouldn't care. I hate her.

_Then let it go. Don't you want forgiveness for all you've done?_

I don't deny that here, in this darkness, that feeling would serve as comfort.

_Then why not allow her the same?_

She's a traitor. She took everything I loved and destroyed it.

_Are you so guiltless, that her crimes outweigh your own?_

No . . .

_Then forgive her. But tell me, who should forgive her? Lightning or Serah? Omega or Elena?_

I-I don't know . . . That's the problem! I don't KNOW! I don't know anything anymore!

_Funny, mere moments ago you admitted to hating Cuore. That strikes me as knowing something. But I suppose your weariness accounts for the discrepancy. Allow me to alleviate your worries. What happens next, you wonder. What happens next is war. What happened before all this? Oh, how to put it . . ._

_ Ah, I know! Imagine that every world is a note on a page of music. They have an order, a reason to them, and, while the notes alone cannot know their part in the greater score, they are all inevitably necessary to it. Now imagine if someone in one of those worlds realized that there was a great song to everything, and disagreed with it. Imagine they tried to rewrite the music to suit their own needs. The song would inevitably turn out awful. _

_ Perhaps that's too vague. Oh, let us lose the example altogether. Suppose that all of this has a beginning. Let us call that place World A, and the time would be The War of Lufenia. It's a tale you call the First Fantasy, culminating in the victory of Light Warriors over Chaos. But even more there is to it, with Cid Lufaine lost into World B, and his wife, Mio's meddling nearly ruining the song._

_ The easiest way of explaining it then is that, rather than fix the old page, a new one was made. The one Cid called his dream, World D. Suppose that, rather than JUST Cid dreaming, everybody was. Oh, but I do so dislike the whole "it was all a dream!" excuse. Consider World D a sort of safe-mode, where all the little notes were to be kept till the Staff and Clef and all could be rewritten, ready for them to be put back in their place._

_ But World D, bordering between dream and reality, seems to have contained too much reality, and as a result, tied itself on to world B, where the Cycles have been happening. Your actions in World D have given a weight to the Cycles of World B, wherein they now hold a significance to all of World A's many little notes. Whoever wins in World B will now be granted the chance to shape World A, so to speak._

_ Now, here in the little page we're in may be called World E to you. The place where you and The Scholar first met. Where he discussed hope with you. On this page you are granted the license to, via Absolute Virtue, make a few changes to the page of World B. When World D was functional, you could also write whatever notes you desired to, there. Does this at all ease your questions?_

It raises more than it answers.

_I imagine it does. So allow me to say one more thing before the final question. The war has already been set in motion. Elena and Mid want desperately to be reunited. The other heroes of the past war will be distraught to be returned to the war. What of Lightning and her friends, who were betrayed by the Gods and abandoned to their own fate? And of those who will be dragged new into this war. You have dragged yourself through blood and gore to reach this point, and the shame weighs on your soul. You perhaps don't want to be a Goddess of Fate, and I ask no such thing of you, but what I do ask is this:_

_ What would you do for love? Who are you, and what would you do for love?_

I would do this:


	56. Ending The World Full of Flowers

_**Ruins at the Edge of Madness, Beyond the Gateway at the Edge of Discord, North-Eastern Continent, World B.**_

There is a gathering being held. Or rather, there is one happening. The participants, nine in number, are dismayed and distraught by their presence in this place. Though the sky is clear, the air fresh, their hearts are heavy and their hopes seem smashed.

The rebel expresses his frustration at the meeting, "What's going on? I thought we had won! Why are we here again? We'd made it out, and conquered Chaos!"

The knight lays a comforting hand on his shoulder, and says, "I am sure none of us know, and so what does it benefit us to complain? Here we are again, and that is that."

The youth snorts in contempt, "Okay then, if we're still here, how do we get out? I don't want to be here anymore."

"Yeah, no offense, guys," says the thief, smiling broadly, "but that's kinda my problem. All these guys and just one girl? Not my kind of party."

The enchantress blushes and runs a hand through her hair nervously. She's normally so calm around men, despite the advances, but something about the thief's advance, however weak, embarrasses her. She's never noticed that she's the lone woman in a group full of handsome, fit men. "Whatever's happening," she says, averting her eyes, "must be big. I mean, we're all still here, right? So maybe there's something going on?"

"Well when you say it like that," the wanderer chimes, "we really shouldn't be just standing here. I mean, if there's trouble, we should be out there fixing it, right?"

"What, and rush right into trouble, not knowing what's happening? Seems unwise," answers a man in black, leaning against a piece of rubble. The mane on his jacket makes him look something like a lion, and his growl is one the others don't dismiss.

"Yeah, well I can't just stand here doing nothing," says the athlete. His words don't carry malice, and his smile disarms any misunderstanding. He's a vision to behold, and his cheer brightens the spirits of those in the company who seem less than pleased with their situation.

The soldier shrugs, as though to convey an apathy he certainly does not have for their fate. "So what do we do, then? Running into trouble seems to be a bad idea, and none of us are game for just sitting here. We have no idea what's going on, and, like always, we're gonna have to deal with it. So what do we do?"

The nine fall silent at his questions. None of them know what to do. None of them even know what's going on. They look about themselves for a clue, but to no avail. The entire area seems so barren, even the flames that once lit the wastes have died now.

"Hey, anybody seen the warrior?" the wanderer asks.

"No," most say, till the thief, some distance from the others, says "Yes."

He points beyond a pile of rubble, and, as the other eight crowd around, the seated figure of the hero. At his feet lies the broken remains of his blackened armor. He looks different now. _Redder_. His face is buried in his hands, and it seems he has not yet noticed the nine's presence.

They jump down the rubble to where he's sitting, and as they skid across the stones, he raises his head. His expression changes as they crash and fall atop him. When everyone has pulled themselves together, he addresses the group.

"I know this looks bad," he begins.

"You can say THAT again," the thief quips.

"Yeah, looks is a bit of an understatement," the wanderer adds.

"And bad it is," the hero continues. "And there's a lot you need to know about. Things have changed. Things have gotten worse. But I need to know, are you all still with me? Are we still a team, working to get everybody home and to conquer evil?"

"Of course we are," says the enchantress.

"Now and forever," the knight replies.

"We're with you, hero," the liegeman adds.

"Please," the hero says, "call me Mid."

_**Shores of the Cardian Isles, just without the Dragon King's Gateway**_

"Up, you worthless traitors," the stalwart barks. "Each of you betrayed us before, but now you'll be singing a different tune."

The first to his feet is a man in long, golden robes. His powdered face, littered with sand, already flexes into the perfect mask of penance. "Remember, if you will, that some here betrayed us more than others."

Knocking the despot down, the stalwart barks, "I know only too well of _each_ treachery. Bring them to me."

"Oh-ho-ho! This'll be _fun . . ._" croons the jester. "Can't _wait_ to see what you've got cooked up for us this time!"

"The traitors, as you requested," the champion says, kicking two men significantly larger than he forward.

"Do yer worst, you lousy hunk of metal," the phantom spits, not at all afraid of the stalwart and his threats.

"Relax," the stalwart says, putting one of his boots to the phantom's neck and driving it into the sand. "When we are done here, you will all know my worst. Until then, I am in no hurry."

"Nor are we," states the warlock, kneeling beside the phantom. "You are not the only one with a plan."

"Plan?" The stalwart asks, grabbing the warlock by the throat and lifting him off the ground. "Who said anything about a plan? There is no plan, except for Chaos. And when Utter Chaos reigns, you will all know that."

"To the Void with these ones," barks another armored man, solid like a tree.

"The Void can burn and hang," The stalwart snarls. "Even The Void will fall to Chaos."

"Your words intrigue us," hisses a woman, beautiful, yet wraithlike in her ways. "Beware the pride that consumes those who hope to conquer The Void."

"And you beware the wrath of Chaos, raw and hard, pulsing and throbbing as it burns through Heaven and Hell, coursing like a fire in your veins as it consumes you." The stalwart answers, hurling the warlock at the wraith.

"Yours is a foul mood," states the witch, dressed in red and flanked by long black wings. "So we've betrayed you. Clearly you find our alliance necessary still, or we would not be here. What is it you're after."

"He's already said it," another man sings, beautiful as death, fearsome as the reaper. "Utter Chaos. Speaking of, where is our magnificent director?"

The stalwart steps past him and, as though in response to his question, points further down the shore. The nine follow him some small way, until they come upon a group of persons, drenched and weary in appearance. Some of them look pale and frightened, others pleased with a glee that could only be called ominous. Standing over this group was a man in a red cowl, long black hair obscuring his face.

"Are they ready?" the stalwart asks the man.

"Very much so," the man replies.

"But where is Chaos?" asks a young woman seated among them.

The man in red points to the stalwart, and the stalwart to the man in red. In unison they say, "I am here."

_**Astos' Castle, Far Reaches of the Elven Snowfields, Southwest Continent, World B.**_

"I find this all to be rather dull, this sudden lack of war, and general lull." States the tiny taru lady. Her passion for rhymes and smiling face belie a fierce disposition. "Now then ladies, let's not dally, we've some lives to save and troops to rally. This is no time for us to lag, we've a war to win before we can brag!"

Her companions seem equally upbeat, despite the nature of their fate. Trapped in this desolate world, powdered with the shards of crystals and haunted by Manikin footsteps. The three women, in the midst of such a terrible cold, remain surprisingly warm.

"Yeah! I can't wait to smash those bastards' heads in and grind their fuckin' skulls into the dirt!" Says the abomination- likely so called on account of her language, more than anything else. Her ears twitch in the wind. A single Elvaan standing in the remains of what once was a great Elven kingdom. Stranger still is the woman who most normal among them seems.

"Is this wrong?" The flower girl wonders. "We've come so far in our plan, and yet . . . is it wrong for us to play with the lives of others to this extent?"

"Oh now, dear, one mustn't fret! All our troubles in the dream world you ought not to so swiftly forget!"

"Yeah! I mean, what we're doing is right! Nobody can doubt that, right?"

"Is it all right? Are we no worse than the Gods who conspire to use people as the pawns in their games?"

"It seems to me you think the means make the ends the same. We're not doing this for money, for power, for greed or fame!"

"Not that those things wouldn't be pretty damn sweet."

"To us this war has never been about our own personal goals, wants or wills. To the Gods it has always been about vendettas, might and thrills."

"And we're so not going that way."

"Then why are we doing all of this? I just want to be sure we all agree."

"My dear friend, what an absolutely silly suggestion; the reason for our cause has always been the same question."

"And sadly, that's not 'where can I get some damn tacos?' much as I'd like it to be."

"You're right," the flower girl says, "The question has always been 'what would you do for love?' So are we doing this for love? Didn't we have people we loved inside the dream world?"

"We had things that had passion's feel, but I, for one, prefer a love that is real."

"Sounds about right to me!"

"Then it's settled."

"I'm glad you all feel that it is," says a warrior behind them. "Because it will make it so much more satisfying when I crush your hopes beneath my heel."

"Shouldn't you be off with the rest of Chaos' curs? Rather than here, hoping to hurt us with your ancient slurs?"

"Touching, lady. But my mission is special. You fools have all taken up the notion of hope, and I will crush and grind and smash and burn and slash and cut and bleed it out of you."

"Yeesh. You always this dramatic?"

"You remember the dream then, warrior?" The flower girl asks.

"Whore, be not surprised to hear that we still walk in it. And this cur now serves the men who seek to wake us all from it."

"That's unfortunate."

"Indeed. Want my advice? Run."

_**Interdimensional Rift, Connecting tube B-C, Far End.**_

"Hey, assuming we've been in here a hundred years, how old are you know?" The pirate asks, his mind idling as they continue their march. They've been awake for a few hours now, all of them surprised by their survival. None fully able to explain it.

"I thought that losing to a Manikin meant game over? Now we're still alive? And we're following her out of here? Seems ambitious, the whole project," says the gunner.

"Last time you lead us anywhere, we got lost for hours." Snorts the woman in the lead, trying to seem angry, when she's slowly becoming more and more used to and attached to her travelling companions. This woman, fleeting like a flash of lightning, is the leader of these wanderers in the dark.

"It was a fairly scenic route, though," the summoner says, trying to avert an argument already dying down. She means well, but a note of weariness escapes into her voice. This darkness has begun to get oppressive, and put her and her friends on edge. Still, she keeps a prayer in her heart and a hope that soon they'll be making their escape from this place.

"So what do we do if we get out of here?" The brawler asks, popping the question that's been on their minds this whole time.

"I should think that obvious," The dragoon says, replying with the one thought none of them dared to voice aloud. "We pay back the one responsible for our fate."

"Yeah, but vengeance seems a bit steep, doesn't it? I mean, it seems wrong to blame her for everything that happened," the gunner says.

"We did CHOOSE to come here, after all," the summoner says.

"Yeah, but she could've done more to help us than this," the brawler states, sounding unsure of this herself.

"You know, now that you think about it, can she even do anything? I mean, I never saw her do anything," the pirate mutters, more to himself than anyone.

"She's a Goddess, of course she could have done something. Let's not forget who brought us to this place, after all. If she had the power to drag us to this forsaken waste, she had the power to send us back."

"Well that's a nice assumption," the gunner tells the dragoon, "but who honestly knows about any of this? I mean, I've never met any Gods before. Have you?"

"You know, I think I have." The dragoon says.

"I might have," the pirate spouts, as though just realizing it.

"Me too," the summoner says, not at all convinced, "well, maybe."

"Maybe. That or an alien," the brawler adds.

"Yeah, killed one or two," the flash finishes.

"Well gee, guess I'm out and alone then, huh? I mean, I'd never even SEEN magic before getting here. To me, those things were impossible."

"You know what, that sounds like a good idea." The flash says.

"What does?" The pirate inquires, his confusion evident.

"When we get out of here, we'll make the impossible, possible. If that's getting revenge on her for trapping us here, then fine. If it's getting home, okay. When we get out of here, we'll do what WE want."

"You know, though," the brawler says, "when we all get home, I think I'll miss you all."

"Yeah, then let's make every moment count," the pirate replies.

"Sounds like a good idea," the summoner says as they fall silent and continue their march through the shadows, hoping to find their way back, even to the world they'd been prisoners in.

_**World C, Gateway to the Interdimensional Rift, opening C-B.**_

"Well, well, well," says the big man to the rag pile, towering over it like a giant. "Look who we have here!"

"It's been some time," the rag pile replies, pulling itself together, assuming roughly the shape of a person. "We'd begun to worry you would not come."

"Me? The greatest swordsman of all! Miss up on an opportunity like this! HA! I chortle at the notion!"

"We don't suppose you'd like some scissors."

"Such references are beneath us! Now is the time for BATTLE, then we shall amaze all with our brilliant knowledge of JUSTICE!"

"Indeed. Your son is well. We saw him, not long ago."

"Really? How's the little squirt doing? A shame we're on such good terms. It totally ruins all future opportunities for a big reveal of our familial connection, donchaknow?"

"He's fine. Found himself a girlfriend, it would seem."

"That so? Haw! What's she like?"

"Every bit as convoluted as you'd like. Not so strange as your granddaughter, but exactly the kind of poorly written finale you love so much."

"Amazing! He's going to outdo his old man! I can't believe it! I shall have to make her duel me for the honor of marrying him! And then he can duel me too, for the honor of getting married! Then we can all have an amazing garden party!"

"Begging your pardon?"

"Oh, no, that's just a line I saw in a movie."

"We are not familiar with this concept."

"Then I'll explain it on the way."

"We would . . . appreciate that. Our journey will be a bit . . . lengthy."

"Not a problem, ol' chum! Lot's to tell!"

_**Lufenian Ruins, Continental Bridge, World B.**_

"All has gone exactly as we have planned it," the scholar says, running a hand through his beard as he reclines on the remains of a sofa.

"Has it?" asks his wanderer, "I thought we'd planned victory in World D."

"Oh, no," the chronicler says, adjusting his glasses. "We planned for it. And we achieved it. We're here, aren't we? Every major player is on their way, and when they're all in ash before us, we'll take Absolute Virtue and wake the world from this nightmare its claimed as real."

"A cryin' shame we 'ad ter be the bad guys las' time, tho," the Engineer calls as he rummages through the rubble, looking for something to eat.

"I agree. Toward the end it became especially painful."

"You're saying you didn't enjoy assimilation," opines the scholar.

"Was it enjoyable being assimilated into her for you?"

"Not in the slightest. But doing so gained us access to this world. Now we are one step closer to ending the dream and making final the fantasy. Soon reality and reason will reign, and Final Heaven will be ours."

"Social revolution in every way," the chronicler whispers, as though to a lover.

"The rewriting of the status quo, and the shaping of all truth into our own."

"Our becoming truth itself. No more Gods, no more graves."

"Only reason, perfect and pure. And we, her unyielding guardians and sole dispensers."

"We'll be saviors."

"Heroes."

"We'll be free." The scholar says. "And there will be none to molest or make afraid."

_**Gaian Valley, Northeastern Continent, World B.**_

"The players are assembling, the field turns white for the harvest, and the battle prepares for its end. Are you satisfied now, old one?" asks the dragon to the man. He does not seem happy at all.

"Should I be? All I've ever wanted, I've been denied."

"Indeed, but you have fought long and hard for it, have you not?"

"What good has that done me? All my attempts at getting back what I have longed for have lead us here. There is not a person in this world who does not wish to slay me. And now, there is not even a way to turn things back."

"Indeed, your body is at last gone. Without World C, we have no way of reviving those who fall and starting the war again. This time shall be the last. It has taken all our strength just to allow this final conflict. The girl nearly destroyed everything. The scholar came dangerously close to winning. And yet I must ask you, are you in no way satisfied? You have one final chance to save your family."

"Should I be pleased? In all this world, I am hated. And do I deserve it? Every last drop. Were there Gods greater than we, by them would I swear in anguish. My own hubris created the scholar, and all who serve him. How could I ever find pleasure in this world I've created? What have I done? Even I cannot grasp fully the evils I have wrought."

"You wallow overmuch in your misery. Even I no longer can see all that will happen here. Why, then, ought we to worry? Let us allow this war to play itself out, as all others have. We are survivors, you and I. Soon you will see that the virtues you cling to hold no meaning for those who would not die."

"Then perhaps death is the only fate I truly deserve."

_**Cosmos' Throne, Sanctuary, Cornerian Sea, World B.**_

The heroes stand together, puzzled and confused. This place is new to them. Some of them have no idea what is about to happen, and some of them are afraid for their futures. They were called to this spot by a woman's voice. Each of them gaze bewilderedly at the other, unsure of what to say.

"So, anybody know what's going on?" the gray-haired boy asks, while wishing he had a hat. The skies here certainly look rainy enough.

"No. Don't care, either," the man in the black cape says, rubbing the odd metal casing on his arm. He looks at the clouds and shrugs. Whatever's going on here, he'd rather get away from it just as fast as possible.

"That's some attitude you've got there," says the guy behind him, running a finger along the crystal embedded in his cheek. "I hope you're not one of those brooding types. Never did get that. I mean, what's so bad about being a hero, that you've got to brood about it?"

"You're sure you're all heroes?" asks the youth in blue armor, shrugging widely, "Because the last time somebody told me that, it didn't work out very well for her."

"Perhaps she just lost her way on the path to heroism," suggests another boy in armor, "one mustn't blame God for personal mistakes."

"I hope I'm not interrupting," interrupts the cat-girl who's been standing nearby. "But I think you're all ignoring the elephant in the room."

"You mean there's something weirder than cat-women and guys in armor?" asks the other woman.

"Well, there's her, I suppose," the cat-woman says, pointing past them all to the throne, which, moments before had been empty. It was now occupied by a woman whose personage could only be described as radiant. Her skin was white like the heart of fire, and her gown purer still. Her hair was golden, and her voice like a song as she spoke to them.

"Welcome, warriors. You seven have been called here to save my world. Chaos, the God of Dischord, has raised up an army, and seeks to lay waste here, and then to all your worlds. I am Cosmos, Goddess of Harmony. I need your help, brave warriors. You are my last hope."

"Then you haven't any at all," the man with the metal arm says, turning to leave, "put me back in my world, and I'll deal with Chaos when he gets there."

"I cannot. The only way home is for you to help me. You must gather the crystals, and vanquish Chaos."

"Really?" the boy in blue armor says, "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Stay your tongue," the other armored man says, "whatever doubts you may have, we'll deal with later."

"Oh, right." The boy in blue says.

"Please, brave heroes," Cosmos says, "will you not help me? We must join forces to stop Chaos, once and for all."

"Do we have any choice?" the crystal cheeked man asks. No answer comes to him.

_**World E, The World Full of Everyone's Favorite Flowers.**_

The pink-haired girl stands in the fields of flowers, looking about her. She has done what she can to make right the great wrong she has wrought. She has gathered together every last person she can to make possible the hope of all. She's set the stage, and called the actors. Now it is up to them to determine what the final chapter in the Endless Cycle will be.

As she ponders whether her actions absolve her of crimes committed in another world, a six-armed man with shaggy white hair comes up behind her. He puts an arm around her shoulders, and another, her side. His presence comforts her. They've been through so much together. He whispers in her ear, then points a short way off in the field, where two persons are emerging from pillars of light.

The first of these persons is a gentleman with a long, bronzed beard. He gazes about himself in wonder, until at last his gaze rests upon the two. Jumping and shouting for joy, he races toward them, embracing the two with a broad smile upon his face.

After him comes a woman with long green hair. She approaches slowly, looking ashamed. After an awkward moment, the pink-haired girl runs to her, and embraces her. All is forgiven between them. Though hell came up and consumed them and tore them apart, limb by limb, this one embrace dissolves the pain and melts the ice. Here, in this world full of everyone's favorite flowers, there can be no grudges. Forgiveness and mercy here lay claim to the hearts of man.

The four of them stand a minute, just happy to be with one another again. At last someone asks, "What happens now?"

"Now we wait," the pink-haired girl says. "we let them pick up where we left off, and pray they do better than we did. Now, we let them right the last report."

"One more, huh?" the green-haired woman asks.

"Yes," pink replies, "And it will be in my name. The last report, and the final cycle. I'll hold it on my conscience, and we all pray they make it here, to the world full of flowers."

"And home?"

"We hope for that, too. What happens now is hope. Let's make that our Endless Cycle. Yours and mine. We spread it from every person, world to world. We'll fill the world with hope, and let the darkness drown in it."

"For hope, then." The others say.

"For hope," pink echoes.

_**END OF PART 2: THE SCHOLAR'S REPORT.**_


End file.
